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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 |
I sit all day for work. I also constantly look at my phone or iPad so my neck is always in a forward carriage position. I have noticed low back, shoulder, and upper back pain creeping up more and more. I have found some YouTube videos to help with stretching and undoing those poor posture positions. It helps but it does take a conscious effort to keep at it and keep my posture upright. Awareness and reminders are so helpful… So thank you Zuzka for posting this!
Private Member |
Oh Zuzka you are not kidding! Sitting is a killer, I sit about 9 to 10 hours a day, I literally feel my body hurting, I try to stretch often n take breaks by
Private Member |
Getting up and walk around a bit. That’s why I cannot wait to workout with you in the morning, I look forward to every evening to see which workout I’m going to do. Thanks so much you are my inspiration! Amazing site I love it. Ciao Angelina
Private Member |
case pilote, martinique
I don’t sit very often when I’m at work, just when I have lunch. I’m always standing and walking, sometimes I can have a sit but it’s just for a few minutes. So I would thought that I’m not very concerned… Well, it’s not the case. Even if I’m always moving I still have to pay attention to my posture and I do suffer from neck pain sometimes. When I work at home on my computer I have really bad posture :S so I still have to work on my posture.
However, kettlebell workouts helped me a lot to strenghthen my glutes and I don’t have neck pain as often as before. So this is something very positive for me.
Thank you Zuzka for this good article. Very accurate as usual. 🙂
Private Member |
Not to mention, it makes your butt flat. More squats!!
Private Member |
I am a designer/photographer and I started to notice how much better I felt on days that I was on photo shoots where I am standing all day. So I made a change at my office desk. I made a standing desk and was able to get a locus seat by focal upright furniture. It was expensive but I feel so much better when I am in the office now. Don’t get me wrong I still sit in meetings, when I go to lunch and my drive to work but that is enough for me. It is an adjustment but I am very happy with the way I feel.
Private Member |
After spending so much time in school…sitting…I finally had the opportunity to start working at a job in college where I was on my feet all day. I can say that that has set the precedent for the rest of my life. I CRAVE having an active, moving job and plan to always have one!
Private Member |
I sit at work all day. Also, at 5 feet tall, my feet never fully touch the ground (even with the chair lowered all the way down), forcing me to either cross my legs or have awful posture all day. I’ve been dealing with some sciatica problems for almost a month. Definitely not fun, but it has kind of motivated me to take more breaks at work and stand up and stretch. I’m also getting a foot rest to hopefully solve the short person problems 🙂
Private Member |
I surely knew most of this, I reckon many people know how bad it is by now. Thousands of people have these jobs, they sit all day long, me including. What I really wanted to know now is how much doing 12-20 minute worksouts of yours helps with this.
I do your workouts every day but I have read somewhere that 15 minutes of exercise do not do much for your body if you counter it with 10 hours of sitting each day, in relativity. So, any answer to this? Thank you in advance.
Private Member |
ohio, united states
I have a desk job as well and am only 5 ft.tall. My solution is an upside down box under my desk to put my feet on, so I don’t have to lower my chair all the way. If I am wearing heels it helps with having my feet touch the floor. I love my chair, it has good back support, but I need to be able to.sit all the way back with my feet on the ground or up on the box! I have to remind myself.to get up every hour. I also use the steps as much as possible. Thankfully there are two flights of steps just to get to my building, which I use daily and sometimes at lunch I go up and down a few times