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recently, another north-south difference comparable to the "salty-sweetness dispute" over tofu pudding has sparked heated discussion - standing posture.

netizens found that southerners usually stand with their legs together and straight when "waiting", while northerners usually stand with their legs apart in a "three-seven-step" posture. especially for friends from the northeast, when they stand, 80% of them stand in this posture similar to "at ease". the comment "northeasterners' waiting posture" on douyin received 32,000 likes.

comparison of standing postures in the north and south | source: screenshot of douyin @南肖北亮 video

so, what is the "magic" of this standing posture? how did it unify the "standing posture world" in northeast china?

northeastern people who take a break throughout their lives

let’s first take a look at what this standing posture is all about.

the essence of the northeastern people's "at ease" is to put one foot in front and the other in the back, with the body's center of gravity on the leg where the back foot is, the front foot slightly tilted outward, the angle between the extended lines of the two feet is about 45 degrees, and the heels are more than ten centimeters apart, which becomes a standard "37 steps". after taking the steps, the hip axis is pushed forward, and the steady northeastern style "at ease" is completed.

this standing posture is as common in northeast china as frozen pears, ice sculptures, and large flowered jackets. if you take a random look on the street, you can see a lot of this standing posture.

image source: screenshot of douyin @一个张张包🥯 video

when i was bored while waiting for the bus, i stretched out one leg unconsciously, and everyone in the northeast waiting area was happy to "stand at ease".

image source: douyin @b11 video screenshot

not only humans, but also cats and dogs in northeast china follow the local customs and stand with their legs stretched out in a very authentic manner.

image source: douyin @人很惹人 @岁穗 @大怪怪宠物零食 video screenshot

even the pony pulling the cart on the roadside has to stretch out one of its front hooves to replicate the "at ease" standing posture.

image source: screenshot of the video from tiktok @哎呀我去

in this way, with the support of netizens, the "at ease" standing posture seems to be equated with "northeasterners". so much so that in some occasions where people from the north and south appear on the same screen, standing posture has become a sharp tool for distinguishing people.

image source: screenshot of douyin @小熊院长 video

how great is the charm of "taking a break"

with such a broad audience base, the "at ease" standing posture naturally has its unique charm.

dr. liu haisheng, chief physician at peking university shougang hospital, has conducted research showing that when standing still, the weight of the human body acts on a vertically downward center line. if both legs are equally stressed when standing, this line will fall between the two feet, and both feet will be subject to a force biased toward the center of gravity; if the two legs are unevenly stressed, the gravity line will shift.

the center of gravity of the body in a natural standing state | source: crossfit official website

when standing at ease, the body's center of gravity is on one leg. this leg is "carrying the weight forward" and bears more weight, while the other leg is "resting" and in a relaxed state. at this time, the gravity line almost completely overlaps with the leg under force. in a short period of time, this will make people feel more relaxed and comfortable than using both legs.

but then again, if this standing posture can make people more comfortable, why is it so common only in northeast china?

let me first say the conclusion. the "at ease" standing posture is not unique to the north. it is just that from the sharing of netizens, it is more common in the northeast. in many comments about the "at ease" standing posture, some southern netizens also came forward to say that they also have this standing habit.

image source: screenshot from xiaohongshu

image source: screenshot from tiktok

to be honest, even yeon-jin, the "pure prison queen" in the korean drama "dark glory", likes to stand like this.

image source: screenshot of dark glory

as for why the "at ease" standing posture is particularly common in northeast china, this is closely related to regional differences.

from a climatic perspective, the latitude of the northeast region is roughly between 40 degrees north latitude and 50 degrees north latitude. it has a temperate monsoon climate, with high terrain in the north and low terrain in the south. the plains have a relatively weak ability to block the invasion of cold air from siberia. in addition, the northeast region is very close to the source of the winter monsoon, the asian high pressure. under the influence of these two factors, the average winter temperature in the northeast is around -20°c. in terms of coldness, the northeast is a well-deserved top student.

the extremely low temperature naturally requires thick and warm clothes. after putting on two bulging pairs of fleece autumn trousers, it is not easy to stand with legs together. after all, there are thick cotton pants between the legs. if you are a little more "full", you can only stand with your legs apart.

facing the cold weather, northeastern friends have also used various skills to keep warm, one of which is "shaking legs" which makes muscles tremble and generate heat. standing with legs together is obviously not conducive to shaking legs, so "at ease" can not only relax but also shake legs in the ice and snow, killing two birds with one stone.

in addition, low temperatures have another disadvantage: freezing feet. if both feet stand on the ground in a straight line, they will both be frozen. if you alternate your legs to support your body, the other free foot can be moved at will, and your feet will not be frozen so much.

in addition to the above objective factors, showing temperament is also an important role of the "at ease" standing posture. the unique natural and cultural environment has created the bold and generous personality characteristics of the northeast people, and the standing posture is the externalization of personal character. the relaxed 3:7 steps make the whole person seem to have a sense of calmness, which is completely different from the feeling brought by the upright standing posture.

comparison between the "at ease" standing posture and the upright standing posture | image source: screenshot of "storm"

although "taking a short break" is good, the lumbar spine is not so good

although the "at ease" standing posture is a pentagonal standing posture that combines many advantages, in fact, standing "at ease" for a long time can cause harm to our lumbar spine and pelvis.

let's first look at the lumbar spine, which is part of the human spine. the lumbar spine is composed of structures such as vertebral bodies, vertebral arches, vertebral processes, neural foramina, spinous processes and intervertebral discs. it has a large cross-sectional area and a thick vertebral body, and can withstand a large load. if the body weight is 70 kg, the lumbar spine will bear a weight of about 100 kg when standing naturally. it can be said that the lumbar spine is an indispensable "backbone" in our body.

table of waist forces in different postures, unit: kg | source: reference [2]

the status of the pelvis should not be underestimated. it is a bony ring structure composed of the left and right hip bones, sacrum, coccyx, etc. it is a bridge connecting the trunk and lower limbs. it can effectively transfer gravity and protect the organs in the pelvic cavity.

pelvis | image source: reference [1]

however, standing at ease for a long time may bring slow impact to these seemingly solid bones. when we stand in this posture, most of the weight will be supported by one leg, which will cause uneven force on the left and right sides of the lumbar spine and pelvis, which may lead to scoliosis and pelvic tilt in the long run.

moreover, most of the "at ease" standing postures are often accompanied by hunching over and drooping shoulders, which are not good for the spine and can easily lead to cervical and lumbar diseases.

"at ease" is good, you can just stand with your legs crossed for a while occasionally. if it's really uncomfortable, we can develop another ancestral skill of ours - squatting anywhere.

references:

[1] wang yan. (2021). skeletal musculoskeletal anatomy. china traditional chinese medicine press.

[2] sun yueli. (2020). i really can’t sit still: orthopedic doctors make your work easier. beijing united publishing company.

[3] liu haisheng, & qi guilan. (2014). be careful with your bad posture: the magical 3a posture therapy. jilin science and technology press.

[4] Choung, J. Y. , Jeon, H. S. , Lee, C. H. , & Lee, J. W. . (2010). Comparison between right and left muscle activities of hip and trunk during manual task in asymmetric weight-bearing posture. Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea, 29(3), 279-286.

[5] cctv news: must-see | sitting with legs crossed, standing at ease, sleeping on your stomach... these postures are the most harmful to your health!

header image source: douyin @一个张张包🥯 video screenshot

author: minmin du yuxin