Sitting Still Isn’t As Restful As It Looks

The Melbourne international film festival is here! And whilst sitting still for two hours might sound restful, cinema seating rarely supports good posture. The good news: you don’t need to sacrifice your seat at the next session to protect your body. Here are some osteopath approved tricks for making sure you walk out of the cinema with a not too grumpy body!

Practical Adjustments Before the Lights Go Down

A few small changes can take real pressure off your body during a long session:

• Choose your seat with your body in mind. Where possible, sit slightly further back rather than in the front rows, so you’re not craning your neck upward to see the screen.
• Support your lower back. A rolled-up jacket or small cushion behind the lumbar curve stops your lower back from slumping into the seat over a long film.
• Reset your position every 20–30 minutes. Small movements like a shoulder roll, a gentle neck stretch, shifting your weight in the seat can stop any one position from becoming a fixed load.
• If you are watching multiple movies, make sure to move in between! Stand up, walk to the foyer, and let your spine move through its full range before you sit back down for the next film. Even two minutes of walking resets circulation and muscle tone.

And if you walk out of the cinema a little worse for wear, our osteopaths at South Yarra osteopathy can help ease your aches and pains. We use hands on techniques to ease tensions, restore normal movement and take pressure off irritated areas. For people who regularly sit for long periods, whether at the cinema, at a desk, or on long commutes, osteopathic treatment can also help build a more resilient posture over time, so the next marathon session takes less of a toll.

So come visit us a South Yarra Osteopathy to support your Melbourne International Film Festival journey.

Here are some of our clinician’s top picks

Francesco: La gradiva (movie) and the match ( documentaries)

Indigo: The incomer; Mad Rush; My life without Steve; Yumburra; the beloved;

Danny: Boss Cat, Hard as puck, Lomu