Are you sitting down?

Recently my husband and I took a trip to Washington DC that required long days of walking and standing while we explored the sights.  The long days on my feet did not bother me as I spend my working hours standing and moving around.  My husband, on the other hand, was feeling pain and discomfort from our sightseeing activities.  This made us realize how much time he spends sitting during the work week.  Between his commute and working in an office environment he sometimes spends up to 13 hours a day sitting!

Unfortunately my husband is not in the minority of people who spend prolonged hours sitting.  Thanks to technology advances, longer commutes and work weeks, Americans are sitting more now than ever.  We even force our young children to sit for long hours at schools.  Frequently, many children will follow their school day up with even more sitting while watching TV or playing video games.   And how exactly are we sitting?  Usually it is not with the best posture.  We spend our time slumped over desks on the computer or slouching on couches zoning out in front of the TV or other media devices.

For centuries of human existence, hunting and gathering were our primary activities.  Our bodies were and still are designed for frequent movement.  When we deny this innate purpose with long hours of sitting, our body starts shutting down causing many problems.  Prolonged sitting leads to chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, or heart disease, all of which increase your risk of death.  Excessive sitting, especially with poor posture, also affects the health of the spine, compressing the discs and leading to pain, stiffness and degeneration.

In addition to the physical problems, sitting and inactivity also affects our mental health.  Movement of the body directly stimulates and feeds our brains.  This is why sitting all day makes you feel tired and foggy compared to moving the body vitalizes and promotes clear thinking.  Physical activity promotes the brain’s ability to learn, improves mood and attention, lowers stress and anxiety and even reverses some effects of aging on the brain.

So what can you do to prevent the physical and mental effects of prolonged sitting?  If you can, avoid it.  Instead of watching your TV, get up and go for a walk.  If avoiding sitting is not an option, try some of the following tips:

• When you must be stationary, focus on having the proper posture. Keep your hips higher than your knees.  Tip your pelvis forward slightly to allow a curve in the low back. A lumbar support cushion may also be used for additional assistance.  Lift your rib cage and keep your shoulders down and back.  Try to keep your head looking straight ahead and positioned over your shoulders. 

• Try sitting on a stool, kneeling chair or balance ball to activate core muscles.  Since there is no back you are forced to use your own muscles to keep you upright.  Gradually increase the time you sit on these alternatives until your core muscles are strong enough to support an ideal posture. 

• Try setting up a standing workstation with a tall chair to occasionally sit on.  This allows you to be more active and utilize muscles throughout the day.

• Get up and move about every 30 minutes.  Do anything that gets your blood flowing: walk around the office, stand up and stretch, or do some jumping jacks. 

Inspired after our recent trip, my husband is now using a balance ball at his desk, focusing on his posture and taking frequent, short breaks from sitting.  He’s also motivated to be more active once he gets home from his long hours at a desk.  Small changes like this to your daily activities can pay huge dividends for your spinal and overall health.  May you live your best life…naturally!

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