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Too Much Sitting is Bad For Our Posture
Health | December 10, 2014
Sitting seems like an innocent enough activity. We do it all the time at work, in front of the computer and to relax and unwind after a long day. Sitting is supposed to provide comfort and it does, but it also can have a negative impact on our health. Recently I wrote about the startling affects too much sitting has on our cardiovascular health and longevity. Now let’s discuss the terrible toll sitting has on our posture and why it may be the cause of your lower back and neck pain.
For starters, good posture is crucial for our health, especially as we age. In fact, Allston Stubbs, an orthopedic surgeon at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center recently told the Wall Street Journal that posture is “probably the 800-lb gorilla when it comes to health and wellness,” meaning it’s very, very important!
Unfortunately, sitting is one the major culprits in dismantling our posture. A 2006 study published in the European Journal of Public Health found that frequent sitting was a major cause of neck and lower back pain. All that slumping in chairs and couches with rounded backs and bent necks are some obvious reasons. Another physiological reason is that our hip flexors – also referred to as our iliopsoas – tighten, even shorten after prolonged sitting. These muscles are connected to our lower spine. When they tighten and shorten they pull on our lower back causing pain and discomfort. This muscular imbalance can also be one of the causes that lead to back spasms and other complications over time.
Our glutes suffer as well. One main function of our glutes is to provide support for our lower back. Sitting causes our butts to basically fall asleep on the job by becoming inactive. Referred to as gluteal amnesia, this is another major reason why our posture slowly falls apart when we continuously sit day in and day out. By sitting around so much we effectively remove our main source of back support: Our butts!
Awareness of our posture is vital for remedying the negative effects of sitting. Stretching and mobility work also go a very long way in countering our increasingly sedentary lives. Focus on your hip flexors and glutes. Also try to break up your sitting routines at work and at home by standing up and resetting your posture.
How often do you sit on a daily basis? Are you suffering from any neck pain and back pain as a result? What steps are you taking to remedy this?
Private Member |
san antonio, texas, united states
I have an hour commute to work, 9 hours seated at my desk (I don’t take a lunch) and my hour ride home…. on top of slight scoliosis and a lower back injury about 1.5 years ago… needless to say by the end of the day I am so sore I can hardly walk… lower back pain is horrible and I no longer have the “C” curve in my neck so I have neck and shoulder pain as well.. I am 90% decided that I will be quitting my corporate job with all of it’s benefits (401K, insurance, profit sharing) because I believe that sitting all day is slowly killing me…. I plan to start working in a field that I have never been in before… dog grooming!!!! I love, love, love animals and would be moving all day…praying that the universe will be kind and bring me success!!
Private Member |
Hi Zuzana,
What do you think about sitting on a swiss ball at work? It’s seems better for the posture no?
Private Member |
lake tahoe, nv, usa
That depends on how conscious you are when you’re sitting on the ball. It can be better if you pay attention to how you sit and if you’re keeping your abs tight and shoulders back, but if you’re sitting hunger over on a swiss ball, then it’s really no difference then sitting the same way on a chair.
Private Member |
la valette-du-var, france
Same here, I sit all day at work and once a week I go to school where I’m sitting all day too ^^. But my posture has always been important to me, if not for my health for the image I give (I don’t want my boss to see me slumped on my chair haha). I know there are some tips to have a good posture, for instance the height of your chair, the position of your computer screen, the position of your feet (crossed legs, for instance, is not recommended) … But yeah it demands a constant awareness if, like me, you’ve mastered a bad posture for the longest time : it’s not natural :/
Private Member |
I’ve just recently learned that not only sitting causes a lot of back pain but one of the main factors is also stress:
Whenever you feel stressed your body tries to keep it’s most vulnerable part, the throat and head, safe, so you unconsciously lift your shoulders to your ears, even if it might be ever so slightly. After some time it becomes sort of a habbit and you don’t even realize it anymore (at least, that’s what has happened to me) until you feel that your neck is tight and hurts. Basically, so I’ve been told, the muscles tighten from the minimal but constant tension and they put pressure on the nerves that run through (or along?) the muscle and this, as a result, leads to neck pain.
And now the question is: How do you destress yourself effectively in a society that always seems to be under pressure? I’d really love to hear some tips from you guys! 🙂
Private Member |
manchester, united kingdom
While I maybe lucky that my jobs involves standing and rushing around all day in a busy a/e department, however may feet do suffer for this they ache like crazy after a 12 hour shift, its funny how i am able to come home and workout on them, but it actually makes me and my feet feel better!!
Private Member |
balestrand, norway
I bought myself a treadmill desk! It’s amazing and since I work from home about 50% of the time, it knocks off tons of sitting time. I stroll along at 1.5 mph as I make phone calls and use the computer. Pretty awesome.
Private Member |
I walk and stand at work all day and I find I am much less stiff than when I worked sitting down before. I am very conscious of my posture but I sit in the evening to relax and find that my butt falls asleep really easily. I have to stand up and stretch it out frequently. I don’t suffer from back pain much which is nice.