Sitting is detrimental to your health

We sit nawadays more then ever! People are spending more and more time sitting as desks, driving, or watching TV. In fact, the average office worker spends up to 15 hoursper day sitting. Consequently, this harmful position is causing serious health concerns.

This is causing serious health concerns

Most of the patients we see with low back pain, neck pain, and hip pain have one thing in common: they sit too much. Furthermore,  majority of these people also complain of fogginess, fatigue, lack of focus, low energy and problems with digestion.

Why is it bad?

• Being in a seated position, especially with bad posture, causes increased strain
• Less calories expended leads to weight gain. People who sit at their jobs burn 1,000 fewer calories than people who move throughout the day.
• Excess sitting is linked to 34 chronic diseasesand conditions. Foir instance, studies show that people who sit for extended periods of time have much higher risk of type II diabetes and heart disease, among many other diseases.
• People who sit more are at an increased risk for early death: People who sit more are almost two times as likely to die early.

What can you do instead?

Take breaks every 30 minutes. Every 30 Minutes. Set a timer or reminder alarm. Stand up and stretch. Do some marching or go for a short walk. Your muscles and joints need a break from being in the strained position of sitting, even if there is no pain yet.

Change your desk to a standing desk

Ask your employer for a standing desk, or set one up yourself. Your spine and all of your muscles will thank you.

Do stretches and exercises while you sit

Do glute squeezes, reach up for the ceiling and over to one side, make circles with your ankles, bend and straighten your knees, twist in your chair and look behind you. Most importanly, keep yourself moving even if you have to remain sitting.

Change your posture

Engage your core muscles that line your spine by pulling your belly tight. Shoulder blades should be back and down. Your head should not be forward like a turtle, tuck your chin back so the spine in your neck is in a straight line with the rest of your spine.

Exercise is good for everyone 

However, it does not make up for sitting too much throughout the day. In other words, if you exercise 1 hour per day, it does not mean you can be sedentary the other 23 hours of the day. Movement needs to be a part of your routine all day long.

In the future, we will look back at sitting the way we look back at smoking cigarettes. Seemingly harmless until science and time shows proves otherwise. Don’t wait to give up sitting!

Do you bad posture, back/ neck pain or tight hips due to prolonged sitting?

Call our office at 425-224-2476. 

We will make you free of pain, fit and flexible so you can regain your energy, youtfulness and conficdence back!

Resources

Levine, J. A. Lethal Sitting: Homo sedentarius seeks answers. American Physiological Society. 2014. Retrieved from: https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiol.00034.2014