What We Lost When We Stopped Sitting on the Ground

 

I think one of the biggest and saddest habits of modern living is that we’ve completely sworn off squatting or sitting on the ground.

I was on a hike recently and came across two people resting on a bench. They kindly offered me a spot, but I was perfectly comfortable sitting about fifty feet away — squatting down in the dirt, enjoying a quiet meditation. The woman looked surprised when I declined. She probably thought I was being polite, but the truth is: I prefer sitting close to the earth.

We’ve Forgotten How to Sit Like Humans

Somewhere along the way, we started believing that chairs were the civilized way to rest — as if comfort could only come from elevation and padding. But our bodies were built long before furniture existed. Humans squatted for thousands of years: to eat, to cook, to gather, to rest. It wasn’t a “workout,” it was just life.

Now, most people can’t squat at all without pain. I know folks in their 60s and 70s who literally can’t get up from the floor anymore. That’s not a small loss — it’s the gradual giving up of one of the most fundamental human movements.

The Body Forgets What It Doesn’t Practice

Chairs weaken the posterior chain — the muscles that support your spine and keep you upright. Over time, this leads to the back pain so many people accept as normal. Squatting and sitting on the floor stretch your hips, knees, and ankles, forcing your body to stay mobile and alive.

When you sit on the ground, you’re engaging small stabilizing muscles that chairs shut off. You’re reminding your joints that they still have work to do. And when you get up from the floor, you’re practicing strength and balance — two of the first things people lose with age.

Closer to the Ground, Closer to Life

There’s also something psychological about being on the ground. You literally lower yourself back to where life happens — closer to the dust, the plants, the energy that moves through the earth. People might say “eww, germs,” but that low-dose exposure is part of what keeps your immune system sharp.

We live in a world that has become too sanitized, too padded, too comfortable. And I think that “comfort” is quietly killing us.

Get Your Ass On The Ground

I’m not saying never sit in a chair again. But whenever you can, get down on the floor. Eat a meal there. Stretch. Meditate. Watch a movie sitting cross-legged. Build a relationship with gravity again.

Because every time you squat, you’re not just strengthening your body — you’re remembering what it means to be fully human.

Walking Through Back Pain: What My Latest Injury Taught Me

 

A few days ago, I tweaked my back trying to pull off a flashy weightlifting move I picked up from a Dagestani wrestler. I was training with one of my employees — who happens to be excellent at proper form — and she’d been giving me pointers all session. But during a break, I spotted a 45-pound plate and thought, “I’ve got to try that technique.” Instead of bracing properly and using what I know, I swung the weight around…and my back gave out.

At 60, this isn’t my first round with back problems. My history with back pain goes all the way back to the 1990s when I worked for a moving company. Years of heavy lifting led to my first real back injury. Later, I thought switching to desk jobs would help, but sitting all day only made things worse. The pain became so severe that surgery seemed like the only option.

Over the years, I’ve tried steroid injections, rest, and every pain-management method you can think of. But interestingly, once I found work that didn’t chain me to a desk, my back improved dramatically. That experience taught me something critical: our bodies aren’t designed to heal through avoidance — they heal through movement.

This latest injury reminded me of that lesson. I haven’t taken a single painkiller (though I did use Tiger Balm once). Instead, I’ve been walking, stretching, and staying as active as I can without pushing too far. I’ve scaled things back, but I haven’t stopped moving. Now, just a few days later, the pain is still there, but I can feel myself turning a corner.

The truth is, you can’t sidestep back pain — you have to walk through it. Too often, people rush into surgery or long-term treatments that may not be necessary. Our bodies are built to recover, as long as we give them the chance.

One story that inspires me is that of Willie Pep, the legendary boxer. After surviving a plane crash, he was back in the ring training within six months. Years later, doctors discovered he had actually fought with a broken back. His body healed because he demanded it to. That’s how the human body works — for millions of years, before modern medicine, survival depended on our ability to repair ourselves.

So that’s where I am today: moving through the pain, trusting the body’s design, and reminding myself that healing isn’t about babying an injury — it’s about giving your body the right conditions to do what it already knows how to do.