The Sacramento Sitting Pandemic (5-minute read)
Being Sedentary can be devastating to your back health.
The National Library of Medicine published in a study that: Americans spend 55% of their waking time (7.7 hours a day) engaged in sedentary behaviors.
It is very likely that these figures have gotten worse over time due to the prevalence of remote work caused by COVID.
Sitting Destroys your back health.
In this article, we are going to discuss what happens to your back when you are sedentary and cover three simple strategies to avoid these problems.
There are countless Tedtalks and informational blogs and videos on how unhealthy sitting is, but in the year 2020 we all found ourselves put into a new situation where staying indoors and working from home became a lot more common.
One of the less obvious effects COVID had on most people in Sacramento CA was a reduction in activity.
Although staying home may have been safer to avoid COVID, replacing activity with a sedentary lifestyle is not good for your spine.
What happens when I sit too long?
Sitting can cause leg weakness and back pain. When you sit too long it can shorten the muscles in your hip flexors causing you to develop a weak unstable core over time. Sitting can also lead to premature spinal disc degeneration due to unnecessary pressure being put on the lower back.
Top 3 strategies to sit smarter
If possible, try to stand for at least 5 minutes every 30 minutes. (Standing desks can be very helpful for this).
Use a seat pillow to make sure your back has the best support. (We recommend the one in the image below)
The pillow in this image will place your body weight on your glutes and legs WITHOUT excess putting pressure on your spine.Use an ergonomic chair to reduce the strain on your back.
Too much sitting is harmful.
Sitting can cause several health issues.
Hopefully, they can be prevented.
If you suffer from health issues caused by sitting too long or being sedentary, our Sacramento Chiropractic office may be able to help.
Check out our NEW PATIENT OFFER or give us a call during office hours to see what we can do for you.
Clinically reviewed by Steven Barham, D.C.
— Updated on January 14, 2022
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