Sitting is a Killer

Can you imagine that 8 out of every 10 adults will experience
back pain?

I am sure those of you who suffer with back pain would have no
trouble agreeing with this statistic.

My patients with back pain often tell me they do not recall any
specific injury.  Many just woke up one day with stiffness and
it never went away.

Back pain can certainly be caused by an injury or by underlying
pathology (e.g. arthritis, tumor, disc herniation).  But it is
usually related to a lack of activity and/or poor posture.

Sitting places great strain on the spine. Many people sit all
day at work.  Often they then go home and sit some more.

CBS News reported on January 20, 2010, that “Sitting Too Much
Could Be Deadly.” The report states, “Scientists are
increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods - even
if you also exercise regularly - could be bad for your health.
And it doesn't matter where the sitting takes place - at the
office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV - just
the overall number of hours it occurs.

Research is preliminary, but several studies suggest people who
spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat,
have a heart attack or even die.”

The report goes on to say, “Still, in a study published last
year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen
years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death
risk, independently of whether or not they exercised.

’We don't have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is
bad,’ said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical
Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study.
‘But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this
sedentary behavior, the better.’

Figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend
more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks
to sitting in cars.“

Here are your action steps to avoid too much sitting:
1. Set a timer to get up from your chair every 20 minutes. I
know that for some of you this can be very difficult. However,
great relief can be provided by the small investment of just
standing every 20 minutes to stretch the front and back thighs
as well as the hip flexors and the calves.

2. Consider changing your workstation to accommodate a standing
position. Or you could use a computer table to allow
alternating standing and sitting throughout the day.

3. Exercise, exercise, exercise. I know the research that I
cited revealed exercise does not matter much. You still can’t
lose by exercising on a daily basis or by performing
mini-progressive stretches and movement patterns in your day.

4. If you’ve been sitting all day, do not sit when you get
home. For my clients and patients who sit all day I recommend
lying on the floor with legs resting on an ottoman at 90
degrees for at least 15 minutes. I also recommend sitting on a
therapy/exercise ball. Sitting on the ball with proper posture
will aid in strengthening your core muscles.

To Your Health and Posture!

Dr. Michael Kaye
Knowledge, Action, Results

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