“Is sitting too long bad for me?”

Short answer? Yes!

Long answer? Yes! And here’s why….

The human pelvis hasn’t evolved much in the last couple of thousand years but our lifestyle certainly has. No longer do most of us spend our time hunting and gathering, up hillsides and chasing prey. Instead, it is estimated that British people sit for 8.9 hours each day on average1.

This can be clocked up with working at a desk, commuting, knitting or even just catching up on your favourite Netflix series!

When we sit, our pelvis has to tilt which tucks our tailbone (and all the muscles and ligaments that attach to it) under our body and changes the shape of the lower curve of our spine. This makes it more prone to strain and excessive loading making back pain more likely - and that’s with good posture!!

With bad posture we increase this load on our whole spine which then translates all the way up to our head and neck. This can be responsible for many symptoms from back and neck pain to headaches and dizziness.

Too much time sitting can also be an issue as the body always adapts to what we ask it to do and so it is more likely that he seated position our muscles will shorten, our joints will tighten and standing and moving in the upright position will be more challenging and likely to cause pain.

Other health issues which have been shown to be more probable with sitting more than 4 hours per day include Heart Disease, Cancer, Type 2 Diabetes, Mental Health issues, Osteoporosis and even increased risk of mortality.

I know that all sounds a bit doom and gloom so let’s look at what we can do to avoid this and live healthier lives??

Here’s my top tips for when you are sitting:

1. Stand up and move every 30 minutes (even if it’s only to do a few stretches, walk around the room or make a cup of tea)

2. Sit tall imaging a full helium balloon stuck to the crown of your head

3. Have your knees slightly below the level of your hips

4. Place your feet flat on the floor

And if you’re sitting at a desk:

1. Relax your elbows by your side at 90 degrees

2. Raise your screen so that the top of it is at eye level or only slightly below

3. Keep your wrists flat

4. Use an additional mouse and keyboard if using a laptop.

Another solution which is becoming more and more popular is standing desks. Stay tuned to our next blog where I’ll let you know my thoughts on them….

‘til next time,

Francesca

References:

1. http://www.getbritainstanding.org