I received a lot of great questions after last month’s newsletter, “Is Your Chair Trying To Kill You?” So, I decided to follow up with Part II, to elaborate further on additional problem areas, as well as some very simple solutions that you can take to maintain your back health when it comes to your chair!
Let’s start at the top and work our way down.
BRAIN FOG: did you know that moving around pumps fresh blood and oxygen to your brain? This triggers the release of all sorts of great mood enhancing chemicals. Sitting and not moving slows this process down.
NECK STRAIN: if most of your day is spent sitting at a desk, that neck crane can lead to permanent imbalances and degeneration of the cervical vertebra.
THE INCREDIBLE INFLEXIBLE SPINE: spines are meant to move. Those that don’t become inflexible and susceptible to damage during mundane activities, such as when you bend over to tie your shoe (sound familiar?).
HEART DISEASE, DIABETES AND CANCER….OH MY: Now you think I’m stretching it? How can too much sitting possibly lead to these things? Regarding heart disease, when we sit for long periods of time, muscles burn less fat and the blood flows through our system more sluggishly. This allows fatty acids to clog the heart more easily. The most sedentary people are more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease. Diabetes and Cancer: Our pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to our cells for energy. Idle cells don’t respond as readily to insulin, so what does the pancreas do? Yep….it produces more and more insulin which can lead to Diabetes, as well as cell growth which can then lead to cancer.
MUSHY ABS-TIGHT HIPS-AND LIMP GLUTES - A GREAT TRIFECTA: When you stand and move or even sit up straight, your abs hold you upright. But when you slump in a chair they get to relax, resulting in a posture wrecking alliance between a tight back and wimpy abs. Chronic sitters so rarely extend their hips that their hip flexors become short and tight. Flexible hips help keep you balanced. When they are tight they limit stride length. Did you know that research shows that decreased hip mobility is one of the main reasons that elderly people fall? Sitting requires those glutes to do absolutely nothing! Those mushy gluts not only hurt stability, but ruin your ability to push off and maintain a powerful stride. People who watched the most TV over an 8 year period had a 60% greater risk of mortality than those who watched less than an hour. Stagnation can also lead to poor circulation such as varicose veins and soft bones due to lack of weight bearing activities.
THE GOOD NEWS: So now that the specifics are out of the way, what can be done? Here ya go:
Let’s start at the top and work our way down.
BRAIN FOG: did you know that moving around pumps fresh blood and oxygen to your brain? This triggers the release of all sorts of great mood enhancing chemicals. Sitting and not moving slows this process down.
NECK STRAIN: if most of your day is spent sitting at a desk, that neck crane can lead to permanent imbalances and degeneration of the cervical vertebra.
THE INCREDIBLE INFLEXIBLE SPINE: spines are meant to move. Those that don’t become inflexible and susceptible to damage during mundane activities, such as when you bend over to tie your shoe (sound familiar?).
HEART DISEASE, DIABETES AND CANCER….OH MY: Now you think I’m stretching it? How can too much sitting possibly lead to these things? Regarding heart disease, when we sit for long periods of time, muscles burn less fat and the blood flows through our system more sluggishly. This allows fatty acids to clog the heart more easily. The most sedentary people are more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease. Diabetes and Cancer: Our pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that carries glucose to our cells for energy. Idle cells don’t respond as readily to insulin, so what does the pancreas do? Yep….it produces more and more insulin which can lead to Diabetes, as well as cell growth which can then lead to cancer.
MUSHY ABS-TIGHT HIPS-AND LIMP GLUTES - A GREAT TRIFECTA: When you stand and move or even sit up straight, your abs hold you upright. But when you slump in a chair they get to relax, resulting in a posture wrecking alliance between a tight back and wimpy abs. Chronic sitters so rarely extend their hips that their hip flexors become short and tight. Flexible hips help keep you balanced. When they are tight they limit stride length. Did you know that research shows that decreased hip mobility is one of the main reasons that elderly people fall? Sitting requires those glutes to do absolutely nothing! Those mushy gluts not only hurt stability, but ruin your ability to push off and maintain a powerful stride. People who watched the most TV over an 8 year period had a 60% greater risk of mortality than those who watched less than an hour. Stagnation can also lead to poor circulation such as varicose veins and soft bones due to lack of weight bearing activities.
THE GOOD NEWS: So now that the specifics are out of the way, what can be done? Here ya go:
- Sit the correct way. Like your mom always said, “Sit up straight!” In a perfect world you want your feet flat on the floor, hips and knees at 90 degrees, elbows bent to 90 degrees, shoulders relaxed, and your arms close to your sides. Having your low back supported is important!
- The bottom edge of your computer monitor should be at eye height (yes, that high!). This keeps your ears on top of your shoulders and prevents you from hunching forward.
- Sit on something wobbly like an exercise ball or backless chair. This forces the core muscles to work and help with stability.
- Make sure you stretch your hip flexors. If you were sitting, your hip flexors are the muscles that pull your knee towards your body. Follow the picture below to help with these stingy muscles.
- Try some simple yoga poses. The prayer position and the mad cat are great for improving stability and flexibility of the spine.
- Take breaks from sitting. Even a 30 second to 1 minute quick stretch or stroll around the room will alleviate some pressure off the lower back.
- And lastly, ask questions! If you are unsure of what to do or how to do it, ask! I am more than happy to help.
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