Humans are built to be active animals. Our ancestors were always on the move. They hunted, gathered and packed up their things and moved from place to place on a regular basis. In today’s world, physical movement is a choice. Unfortunately, many of us are choosing not to move our bodies any more than necessary. Working from home adds to the problem. People spend hours sitting in front a computer working or being entertained and their spines are suffering.
Prolonged Sitting: Risky Business
A sedentary lifestyle comes with a plethora of health issues. Sitting for hours on end, day after day, increases the risk of obesity, hypertension, diabetes and heart disease. It also affects spinal health. You may think an ergonomically designed chair would eliminate back pain issues. In fact, it may help, but the most efficient way to stave off back pain is to get the body in motion.
Sitting in any chair for hours at a time can cause stress on back muscles and joints. The average chair can increase the risk for compressed discs and arthritis. Over a prolonged period of time these problems can develop into nerve damage. The neck, shoulders and hips can be affected. Certainly, an ergonomic chair has advantages; however, those become limited unless you get up and move your body.
Loosen Up
Some office chairs can be quite comfortable. You may be tempted to sit in such a chair for hours on end, but this static posture, even in a well-designed chair, is not healthy for your body. Remember, humans were designed to be in motion. For spinal health, you need to get up and stretch or walk for at least a few minutes once or twice every hour you sit. When you move your body instead of being inactive for hours, you keep your muscles, tendons, joints and ligaments loose. As a result, you will feel more relaxed and be more productive.
The team of professionals at Ortho Sport & Spine Physicians can help eliminate pain and show you how to keep your spine in good health. Call today to schedule your appointment with us.
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