Sitting position – why is it bad for us?
We spend a lot of time sitting – at school, at work, and also during leisure. Although it is a comfortable position, a sedentary lifestyle not only increases the risk of developing various diseases of civilisation, but is also a direct cause of various painful ailments.
Although it may seem that sitting allows you to relax, it actually puts a lot more strain on your spine and muscular system than if you were standing on your feet. The lumbar spine is particularly exposed to this, as it must withstand loads that are about 40% higher than in the standing position. The problem is exacerbated when you bend over while working at a desk. The load on the lumbar spine then increases to 70% compared to the upright posture. And this is just the beginning of the problems that come back to us in the form of various ailments.
Sitting position – typical ailments
The most common problems associated with office work include back pain. Staying in a sitting position for a long time overloads the spine and skeletal muscles. This leads to chronic pain of various types – neuralgia, muscle soreness, and even problems related to discopathy and degenerative changes in the spine.
The hunched, forced position also contributes to the pressure on various muscle groups. What’s more, they are not properly supplied with blood and oxygen, because when we sit, the heart works slower and breathing becomes shallow. As a result, this leads to muscle soreness, cramps and numbness. Excessive, long-term pressure on the biceps muscles of the thighs can be associated with numbing legs, swelling and even varicose veins. A similar problem applies to the gluteal muscles – their ischemia leads to muscle weakness, pain, and consequently problems with stabilising the correct body posture, which can lead to serious posture defects.
Another problem is the text neck, which is associated with prolonged bending of the neck over the screen of the mobile phone. In reality, however, the “text neck” does not have to result from the use of a smartphone. Incorrect posture at the desk – bent neck, raised shoulder blades and shoulders, rounded upper back – has the same negative impact on the cervical spine and surrounding muscle groups. The characteristic, hunched position becomes habitual over time and can lead to serious changes in the curvature of the spine and degenerative changes in the cervical spine.
Carpal tunnel syndrome, which often affects people working with computers, should also be mentioned. Long-term work with the use of a keyboard and mouse causes pressure and overload of the tendons responsible for bending the fingers, blood vessels and the median nerve running through the isthmus, i.e. the channel located inside the wrist. This ailment manifests itself through inflammation, pain and numbness in the fingers, muscle weakness (e.g. problems with grasping or making some small finger movements) and pain associated with bending the wrist.
Prevention of sitting ailments
A sedentary lifestyle accompanies us all the time, so the ailments associated with it can become chronic. To counteract them, our actions should be consistent and regular, and cover three important areas of our lives.
- Office health and safety. First of all, take care of the basic conditions in which you work, i.e.:
- the correct position at the desk, adapted to the height and reach of the hands, with the possibility of changing it on the fly – the basis is a properly selected desktop, monitor and chair;
- the screen is placed at the correct height – so as not to slouch or bend your neck;
- ergonomic mouse and keyboard – with flexible wrist rests if needed.
- Development of good habits. Sedentary work can (and should) be overcome. Therefore, it is worth making it a healthy routine. The following help to counteract unpleasant health ailments:
- micro-breaks at work – e.g. going out into the fresh air and a short walk. It is worth incorporating this type of activity into everyday work, because it is a relief break from being in a forced sitting position;
- frequent changes of position – when working behind a desk, try to avoid staying in the same position for long periods of time, thanks to which you will distribute the pressure across different parts of the body;
- gymnastics in the office – it is not about complicated exercise routines, but about quick and simple movements that can be performed in your free time, e.g. stretching your hands and wrists, head circles, bends, simple breathing or stretching exercises.
- Active leisure. If your job involves sitting in front of a screen, rest should include more movement – changing muscle tone and length, joint activation, increased heart rate, and better oxygenation of tissues are the best response to a sitting position. The simplest general exercises, involving many muscle groups, can be performed without specialised equipment. Walking or light running are examples of activities that are available to almost everyone.
Workouts for office workers
Physical activity to counteract ailments related to office work should meet four basic assumptions. Firstly, it should engage many muscle groups (especially postural) and joints, whose mobility suffers from the forced position. Secondly, it should include cardio training to take care of the cardiorespiratory system and improve the overall body performance. Thirdly, it should be easily accessible – so it can be done not only in a fitness club, but also at home or outdoors. Fourthly, its intensity should not be too high to reduce the possibility of injury and not to discourage exercise with too high an entry threshold. Considering these assumptions, we recommend, above all:
- gym – circuit training of moderate intensity combining various types of exercises: machines, free weights, functional training, cardio;
- functional or calisthenics training, using work with the position and weight of your own body;
- physical activities, such as yoga, pilates, zumba, tai chi, especially with elements of breathing exercises;
- cardio workouts of moderate intensity – marching, running, cycling/spinning, Nordic walking, swimming;
- mobility training– with particular emphasis on postural muscles.
Ailments related to office work are better prevented than cured. But if you notice worrying symptoms in yourself, remember – physical activity will not replace a visit to a specialist who will make a professional diagnosis and indicate the right ways to proceed.
References:
[1] Bontrup C., Taylor W. R., Fliesser M. et al., Low back pain and its relationship with sitting behaviour among sedentary office worker, Applied Ergonomics, 2019.
[2] Gibbs B. B., Hergenroeder A. L., Perdomo S. J. et al., Reducing sedentary behaviour to decrease chronic low back pain: the stand back randomised trial, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2018.
[3] Yoon W., Choi S., Han H., Shin G., Neck muscular load when using a smartphone while sitting, standing, and walking, Human Factors, 2021.
[4] Padua L., Coraci D., Erra C. et al., Carpal tunnel syndrome: clinical features, diagnosis, and management, The Lancet. Neurology, 2016.
[5] Berninger N. M., ten Hoor G. A., Plasqui G. et al., Sedentary Work in Desk-Dominated Environments: A Data-Driven Intervention Using Intervention Mapping, JMIR formative research, 2020.
[6] https://www.britsafe.org/safety-management/2024/sedentary-working-and-how-to-combat-the-sitting-disease,, accessed on: 26.08.2024.