Why you should sit less
If you spend the better part of your work day sitting in front of a computer or sitting at a desk shuffling papers, you are heading for trouble. It is not for nothing that wellness doctors advise 20 minutes of exercise every day. The advances in technology have made it such that we spend more time sitting down, whether it is at the office, at home, or while on travel.
Look at it this way, every morning, once you wake up, you sit on your bed for a few minutes, trying to orient yourself. Then, you sit down to apply your make-up and take breakfast. You spend at least one hour sitting in the car to work due to traffic jam. Then, you spend the entire day at your desk, before driving home, where you will sit to have supper and watch TV before sleeping.
Roughly we spend about seven to eight hours sitting a day, but this is not good for our health.
Back problems
Your sitting posture may be hurting your back, especially if you do not use an ergonomic chair. (It fits the user’s height and other body dimensions so as to support healthy body mechanics). It is difficult to maintain a straight-back sitting posture all day; at some point you will have to slouch.
Eric Katende, a physiotherapist with Friends Poly Clinic, says sitting for long hours without standing up to stretch or walk around for ten minutes has a bearing on the lower spine.
“When you sit, your legs do not carry any weight and neither does the upper part of your body.
This means that all the weight of the body is concentrated around the centre, pressuring the lumber region of the spinal code.”
The lumber region of the spinal code carries most of the body weight and is also flexible, permitting movement.
“If you sit for many hours the bones in the lumber vertebrae are being strained,” Katende says, continuing, “This makes them susceptible to wear and tear over time. Sitting for long periods overtime will cause the muscles holding those small bones to squeeze the bones, and this is when backache will set in.”
Wilbroad Makumbi, a physiotherapist with FUBA, says joints were made for motion so every time they are not being used, they become stiff and painful. “The muscles around them become weakened. Sitting for long hours stiffens the small joints in the vertebrae, flattens the lumbar curve, and causes the muscles to waste away.”
This exposes one to accelerated disc degeneration to the extent that when such a person engages in work that involves lifting or bending, they are at risk of acute low back strains or disc prolapses.
Neck pain
Nowadays, in an attempt to protect their backs, most people who spend the whole day sitting at work try to sit with their backs straight. According to Katende, this is wrong.
“Young people like to sit on the edge of their seats, and then make their backs straight. This posture will put a strain on the neck. The lower spinal code is supposed to be slightly carved when you are sitting down.”
Do not sit in the same position for more than 30 minutes. Change your position often as is practicable and take time to walk around at least every hour.
Ergonomic desk chairs usually have lumbar supports that can uphold your lower spinal code in the right position.
However, if you do not have access to such a chair, use a small pillow or rolled up towel to support your back when you sit. Make sure not to use a large pillow because it will place your spinal code in an awkward position.
“If you are hunched over your computer, chances are that your shoulders and neck will also suffer,” Katende advises.
Gaining weight
It goes without saying that exercises are core to maintaining a healthy weight. So, if you are sitting down the whole day, the weight is piling on, especially around your abdomen and behind.
Katende says: “Long hours without exercise will lead to flabby muscles. In their 30s, men put on weight around the abdomen while women put on weight around the hips. A lot of weight gain around the abdomen will strain the lower back.”
A sedentary lifestyle is the bane of healthy living
Damage to the internal organs
The more you move about, the more your muscles burn fat and blood flows more easily through the veins. A sedentary lifestyle can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and cardiovascular disease.
“There is a possibility of a cumulative effect of sitting down for too long, over a number of years,” Katende says, adding, “It is possible that the nerves that connect the back to the abdomen could get damaged.”
Besides, sitting for too long slows blood circulation, leading to swollen ankles, varicose veins, or more seriously, blood clots.
Tips on getting by
If your job involves long sitting periods, you should:
• Find a reason to get up every hour and walk around.
• Drink a lot of water – at least, you will be walking to the toilet often.
• Make sure to exercise at least 150 minutes a week.
