I was just with a patient and they asked me what is the impact of sitting for too long at my work?
No matter who you are or what you do, you likely sit too much. You can and should try to sit less.
This is important as prolonged sitting has a negative impact on your lower back health.
So what is the impact of prolonged sitting?
The impact of prolonged sitting is that it causes muscle tightness, but that’s not all. The negative impact of prolonged sitting can include and are not limited to the following:
- Reduced mid back movement
- Poor posture and rounding of your shoulders
- Weakness into your glute or hip muscles as sitting on them turns them off
- Reduced movement into your hips
These 4 key points have a direct correlation with increased risk of lower back issues. This is even truer for people who spend 7-9 hours per day sitting in compromised positions. This is due to the length of exposure to sitting. The trouble is, you can’t avoid sitting. It’s an unfortunate reality of modern society.
How do I avoid prolonged sitting?
So the question is: How do you avoid or at least reduce the havoc wreaked by extended sitting?
I want you to know how to avoid prolonged sitting as our bodies are meant to move. Movement in turn keeps our bodies healthy. It is a symbiotic relationship that has allowed our species to survive.
So here are the tips I want to share with you today:
Tip 1 – Set an alarm and move reguarly
- Set an alarm every 60 minutes, get up, stand up and go for a 1 minute walk to break the pattern. This simple move can be a game changer.
Tip 2 – Alternate with a stand up desk
- Invest in a stand up desk and build you tolerance with using it gradually over time. For every 60 minutes, start using it for 10 minutes in the first week. Progress to 15 minutes in the second week. Then gradually building to 30 minutes of both standing and sitting by the 5th week. A great rotation that works well for many people is 30 minutes sitting, 30 minutes standing as an end goal.
- Once you achieve this you can progressively move to standing. You can eventually aim to eliminate sitting at work if you want to take it a step further.
Tip 3 – Have 1 key mid back and 1 key hip movement/mobility exercise.
- Bow and arrow exercise
- Hip Flexor Stretch
Listen, I hope this was helpful
P.S: Want to learn more about how we can help you to overcome you lower back concerns?
