Why experts think you should get rid of your couch

It’s a furniture staple for many but experts are calling for people to break up with their couch.

While the idea sounds controversial, Katy Bowman – biomechanist, movement advocate and author of the acclaimed Move Your DNA says ditching your couch is one of the best things you can do for your health.

"Many people struggle every day to find time for movement," Bowman says, according to Domain.

"Chairs restrict your movement, and we’ve been conditioned to think that they’re the only way to rest our bodies,” she says. “But rather, you can take a seat while still moving the parts of you that hardly ever get moved."

Bowman explains that sitting on the floor allows people to perform squats and hip stretches naturally.

"Many of them are essentially just sitting on the floor in various shapes," she says.

Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

The movement friendly home trend

Why stop at the couch? As minimalism becomes more popular, people are choosing to live a chair-free lifestyle in their homes, choosing to sit on cushions and rugs instead.

A quick search of the hashtags #movementfriendly and #furniturefree bring up scores of living and dining rooms with something in common: they don't have chairs.

Here are our favourite movement-friendly spaces on Instagram.

So excited to see everyone's #movementfriendly living spaces! I'm currently in the process of moving into / renovating my very first home and I'm loving the challenge of creating a #furniturefree space that still feels warm, comfortable, and welcoming to my friends and family that are less entrenched in my #movementlifestyle . Obviously my dog loves all of my low cushions 😜 this is my dining table and sometimes office. Now #showusyours @wondermoves @nallenburns @movementrevolution @alignment_rescue @jengleesonblue @galinadenzel

Scored this low table from the local thrift store for 30 bucks! This beauty adds 20 #squats and floor-sits to each day. Floor sitting is not just for exercise class! #MoveYourDNA #furniturefree (more like "tall" furniture-free!)

If you've ever wondered what it means (to me) to be "furniture free," I just posted an entire tour of my home and furniture on my blog (link in bio). I hope it encourages you to upgrade--or DOWNGRADE--with your movement in mind and see this trend as accessible for anyone. 💚 # #furniturefree #nutritiousmovement #youarehowyoumove #consciousconsumer #moveyourdna #movementmatters #movementlifestyle #primalmovement #movnat #naturalmovement #movemore #moveyourbody #healthyhome #nontoxichome #holisticliving #floorsitting #lifestyle

"Homesteading is a time-honored way of creating wealth. An individual or group improves previously unused land by clearing it for agriculture, fencing it for grazing, making paths for hikers, building a home, etc. To own the wealth they have created, the creators lay claim to property on which is resides. ☾ Much of our country was settled this way. On 42% of U.S. territory, however, the government prevented the creation of wealth through homesteading - at gunpoint if necessary - by making these lands 'public', (adding subsidies through the aggression of taxation)" ☾ "Sometimes we equate wealth creation on rangelands and in forests with their ultimate destruction, These natural ecosystems, however, are renewable and sustainable if they are properly cared for. Individual homesteaders or owners have incentive to do just that, because they will profit most if the creation of wealth is able to continue year after year. An individual who wishes to leave wealth to children and grandchildren is more likely to care whether the property continues to be fruitful." ☾ "Because of these skewed incentives, almost half of these lands are rented out to ranchers for grazing cattle at one-fifth to one-tenth of the rate of private grazing land. By 1964, three million additional acres had been cleared by 'chaining' to create more rentable rangeland. Because the ranchers and their representatives cannot profit by protecting the land, they have little incentive to do so." ☾ "Had ranchers been permitted to homestead these lands in the first place, the rangeland would now be receiving the better care characteristic of private grazing." ☾ quote: Healing Our World; Mary J. Ruwart

Playing @nutritiousmovement #furniturefree game - yes, not totally furniture free, but a lot of room for movement and a low, non-smushy daybed promote a lot more movement in this room than before. #moveyourdna #floorsitting #roomtoplay #everydayminimalism #minimalisthome

Playing along with @nutritiousmovement! Here's our space to roll and play when at home. The tables are usually gone after dinner so there's plenty of space! There was a hammock somewhere back there around the holidays, but it's on the patio now. #furniturefree ftw! #eatmovelive52 #betterinaweek #practicewhatyoupublish #vitamincommunity

Livia Gamble

Based in Sydney, Livia Gamble will not sleep until she has discovered every possible use of bi-carb soda and vinegar. When she isn’t reporting on ways to improve your home and garden, she can be found knitting socks (by choice) and will never say no to pizza.