The evils of sitting have become more and more and evident over the past few years. Studies out of Australia have pinned sitting as a prime way of dying young. In fact those individuals who sat for more than 11 hours per day had a 40% chance of dying within the next 3 years. It also seems evident that these same people who sit more, exercise less and don’t get the necessary 30 minutes of physical activity each day. People who exercise less than the required amount are at significantly increased risk of Type II Diabetes, Heart Attack, Stroke and certain types of cancers.
Did you also know that sitting puts you at significantly greater risk for back discomfort? It seems that sedentary lifestyles, and in particular a seated position contributes to low back weakness, abdominal muscle dysfunction and the dreaded tight hips. When the right conditions are present, we call this syndrome the lower crossed syndrome. It seems that most back pain that ails is more related to chronic muscle dysfunction and NOT an accute event. Without going into great detail, this lower crossed syndrome can be significantly alleviated by simply interrupting periods of being seated. If you set an alarm to go off every 15-20 minutes and just stand up you can help begin to reverse this chronic condition. The simple contraction of skeletal muscle to hold you up and to stabilize your core is a great start to any back ‘restructuring’ program. So give it a shot. Stand up a few times each hour to beat back pain. Couple this with some core strengthening exercises and you’ll be headed toward a better, less painful back!