Sunday, September 8, 2013

Low Back Pain - Can Sitting All Day Be the Culprit?


Low back pain seems to be epidemic these days. Many people feel they are at low risk for back pain. They do not have physically demanding jobs. After all, they sit at a desk all day behind a computer. It is very likely that all that sitting may literally turn into a back ache (or butt pain).

The human body is miraculously designed to move, that's what it's meant to do. With all of today's technology and automation, our bodies move less and less. Just think of how many hours you spend sitting. Do you commute to and from work? How many hours do you sit behind a desk at work? Then what do you do when you get home... watch some TV? All this sitting has a huge negative impact on the body. The lack of physical activity causes muscles to shorten and get tight. If they become too tight, you may experience painful muscle spasms. These shortened muscles lead to muscle imbalances which are often the root cause of most back or neck pain.

Ever try to stand up after sitting for a while and feel like you have to crank your hip joint and low back so you can stand up straight? Maybe it takes ten or twenty steps for you to "get the kinks out" before you can stand up straight and walk freely. This back pain is usually caused by specific muscles becoming particularly tight which then pull on the back. Regular movement helps avoid this tightness and helps keep the muscles limber.

We've only mentioned muscles, but sitting for prolonged periods of time has a negative impact on all the body functions. The body slows down, including the circulatory and digestive systems, and also our metabolism and mental capacity. Physical movement gets the muscles pumping which assists blood flow to all organs, getting the much needed oxygen to all parts and transporting waste products away. Needless to say, moving simply makes you feel better in many ways.

Inactivity Causes Back and Joint Pain

Most individuals don't realize how profound the effects of inactivity can be. It can sometimes take months or years for the aches and pains to manifest and people don't connect the dots with inactivity being a cause of their back pain. But many aches and joint pain are attributed to lack of movement and muscle weakness or tightness that leads to muscle imbalances.

A simple step towards pain free movement is simply that... to get moving again. One can start with some basic stretches done hourly for a minute or two to break up hours of sitting and help to avoid the muscles from tightening. Other stretches can be done daily but held for longer (from 30 seconds up to a minute). These stretches should be done to the point of mild discomfort but not pain. While holding the stretch for 30 seconds or more, focus on long, deep breaths. This will give you a chance to breathe deeply, another health factor than many of us ignore on a daily basis. Focusing on deep breathing allows your muscles to relax and lengthen and takes your mind off the stretching.

After working in the Corporate Wellness field for over two decades, there are several simple ergonomic stretches that you can do easily at your desk. These ergonomic stretches help your body adapt to the workstation (in this case - long hours of sitting). They require no special equipment and take only seconds or a couple minutes to do. These stretches generally involve muscles of the neck, shoulders, legs, hips and low back. Most people feel instant relief but the key is to do them periodically throughout the day and then do more extensive stretching or strengthening exercises daily to address existing muscle imbalances. To receive your copy of "7 Simple Office Stretches" visit http://www.easyontheback.com

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