Is excess sitting as bad as smoking for health
It seems a drastic statement doesn’t it, but studies have shown that long-term sitting IS harmful for your health and the effects of it may not be reversible through exercise or other good habit changes. The key is essentially to minimise the risk by limiting the amount of time we sit each day and look at simple ways in which we can reduce this. Long term sitting and being static, can not only cause mechanical problems like back and neck pain, but also heart, circulatory and digestive problems too. Our bodies need to move. This is the simple FACT.
Help for desk workers
There are many ways in which you can lessen the time you sit, even if you DO have a desk job.
- Move around when you make phone calls, read paperwork, use the printer etc
- Use the stairs and not the lift
- Set a reminder on your computer to wriggle and change position or ideally get up
- How much of your day do you REALLY need to sit? What tasks can you move for?
- In your lunch break, go for a walk and move! Take a break from the screen
- Outside of work, move more. Do not sit and watch TV. No need for the gym, but do not sit!
- At weekends move more and sit as little as possible
- If you commute by train, get up and move. In the car, move around and wriggle. Better still cycle or walk.
- Basically look at when you REALLY DO need to sit and when you CAN move instead!
For advice on posture, both at work and at home, speak to your osteopath at BOP. We are here to help. Remember from small changes, great improvements can be made.
The NHS provide a basic fact sheet on sitting. View it via this link https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/how-to-sit-correctly/
