The Chinese Leisure Position

Shayne and I have noticed something peculiar. People in China lounge around in the strangest position. They seem perfectly comfortable, causing us to coin the phrase "Chinese leisure position." They can maintain this position for hours on end and often prefer it over standing or sitting. Truly mind-boggling...but I suppose doing this every day will train the body.

At left you can see me doing a second rate job of demonstrating the position. The key things to notice are flat feet and arms tight to the body. The position is far more comfortable on the balls of your feet with arms extended, but that isn't authentic. People in this position often wear dress shoes, and I find the slightly elevated heal helps maintain balance.

Also in the picture, you see me perched next to a ledge. Such a place would seem to be a perfect place for sitting...but not in China. It is common to see people squatting like this on perfectly good sittin' spots such as retaining walls, benches, curbs and even chairs.


Below you can see a professional. This gentleman has his arms tucked between his torso and thighs. Also notice how low his butt is...a truly impressive display. Go a head and try it right now, I bet you can't do it for one minute.