Sitting to Live…A Clear Path To a Bad Back.

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Sitting to Live…A Clear Path To a Bad Back. Written By Andrew Siyabalawatte, Narrated by Emma
Without a doubt, one of the biggest causes of lower back pain in men and women, is prolonged sitting. Sitting forces muscles to hold the head, neck, shoulders and back, in a fixed position. This demand forces the blood vessels to work harder by increasing blood pressure, which in turn, reduces the blood supply to the working muscles over time, especially when they need it most.
Lets discuss two of the more common questions I get asked.
1, Is it Better to Sit or Stand at Work?
Unlike sitting, standing for a period of time has been shown to have some a positive effect on metabolism according to Harvard Health, however, it is the “balancing of weight distribution” throughout the body which in my opinion, is the most profound benefit standing has over sitting.
Standing improves the chain of loading through the body, as the body works as a unit to distribute the weight more evenly, unlike that of the adaptive compensation mechanism sitting undergoes to meet the demands of the environment.
2, Is Sitting the Most Common Cause of Lower Back Pain?
Traditional office chairs forces your legs into a 90-degree angle and cut off the blood flow to your feet, this set up causes back pain whilst sitting.
There are many causes of back pain, I would say sitting is the most common predisposition to chronic back pain, considering a good majority of people in the working world are involved in predominantly desk based computer/laptop work.
Given the attention by media over the last couple of years on posture, especially for those working from home without a proper desk set up, there is now more than ever an increased awareness regarding posture and back pain nowadays on how to combat this.
Advice and Recommendations
Where long hours sitting for work is unavoidable, there are some interventions that can be incorporated into this environment. Like, keeping a small distance between the legs, keeping the knees dropped below the hips, and the pelvis tilted forward, though resting. Do not forget to correct amendments to computer screen height, to keep the back of head resting on the neck and shoulders.
The benefit of a “saddle chair” is understated as It allows your spine to rest in its natural position. This means your weight is distributed properly to the lower half of your body, your core is engaged along with the back, which provides support to alleviate strain on the low back, and help prevent long term chronic back pain.
My best advice is to stand, stretch and move around at regular intervals as movement is key to feeling healthy and to keep you going strong throughout the day. Remember, the body was designed to to move. Keep in mind, “strengthen your body to suit your environment, instead of just changing the environment to suit your body”.