Several surveys revealed that the average American spends about 7.7 hours of their day sitting. With cubicle and work-from-home jobs in full-swing, sitting is just a part of modern day work. Some people try to counteract hours in the chair by purchasing a standing desk. Others try to sit on exercise balls or kneeling chairs to better correct posture. Nevertheless, all of that sitting can create tension in the hip flexors and lower back. 

After a long day of sitting, most people continue to sit on the couch or in the dining room, either watching TV or hunching over their phone. Even self-care hobbies like journaling or meditation involve sitting! Although long periods of sitting may be inevitable, you can engage in a few simple techniques to mitigate the negative effects of sitting. In this article, we will go over a few strategies that may help reduce pain and improve posture. 

The Health Risks Of Sitting For Long Periods

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Contrarily, those who sit less report fewer instances of these chronic health conditions. They also experience better mood and sleep quality, in addition to an overall enhancement of daily functioning. 

In 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that lower back pain impacted 619 million people worldwide. Health experts estimate that this number will reach 843 million by 2050. Lower back pain usually begins with stiffness, particularly in the hips and along the spine. It is the leading cause of disability globally and affects people across all ages and genders. 

Pain is complex, and there are limited solutions to the way people process it. Since standing all day is not an option for everyone and can also lead to pain, we hope the following strategies help ease stiffness and reduce lower back pain from sitting.

Strengthen Your Core

Not only does a stronger core contribute to better balance, but it also helps support your torso while seated. Increasing core strength supports the spine and reduces strain on joints and intervertebral discs. One study monitored 30 participants with lower back pain who engaged in a five-week core strengthening program. At the end of the study, everyone reported a significant reduction in pain and muscle fatigue after performing seated tasks. 

Optimize Your Desk Setup

Ideally, your chair should support your back and you should be able to rest your feet flat on the floor. Your knees should be in line or slightly lower than your hips. Reduce strain on the neck by having your screen be at eye level and an arm’s length away. Consider investing in lumbar supporters, footrests, or monitor stands if you spend a lot of time at your desk. A standing desk can also be beneficial so that you can change positions throughout the day. 

Stay Active

You don’t have to jog in place while checking emails; rather, counteract your sitting by moving your body. Health experts suggest 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise every week. You can supplement this time with resistance training and mobility workouts to counteract all the sitting you do. It can be highly beneficial to flow through a series of yoga poses, engage in water aerobics, or take part in Zumba classes. A little movement goes a long way, with a short walk on your lunch break providing great benefits.

Take Movement Breaks

According to research, two hours of continuous sitting can trigger immediate lower back pain or general discomfort. Your ability to solve problems may be impacted by this sitting! Get out of your chair every 30 minutes to help prevent some of these issues. Engage in some squats, a full-body stretch, or even pace while on a phone call. Consider a few hip stretches or some foam rolling to reduce pain in your hip flexors. 

Be Mindful Of Your Sitting Habits

While you are seated at work, take note of your posture. Are your shoulders slouched? Are your legs crossed? Are you leaning to one side to compensate for pain on the other? These observations may indicate that you need to improve your work set up to reduce pain. You may even require an ergonomic assessment or visit to your health care provider to prevent back pain, especially sciatica. Early intervention is essential, so tackle the issue before it becomes a serious problem.

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Whether you work from home or work in an office, you understand that sitting down all day can cause pain, especially in the upper back, shoulders, and neck. Not to mention, a sedentary work schedule can cause serious tension in the hip flexors, which leads to lower back pain. At least once during your workday, you feel stiff or achy. Fortunately, there are several desk stretches that can help counteract the harmful effects of sitting all day.

The body does not do well if you remain in a stationary position for an extended period of time. Sitting for too long means that certain areas of the body receive less blood flow. Muscles and joints lose extensibility, which often leads to fatigue, soreness, cramping, and general discomfort. That said, you may not be able to abandon your desk job and avoid sitting altogether. You can, however, alternate between sitting and standing, especially if you have a standing desk. 

How often you stretch while working depends on your body, how you are feeling, and whether or not you are active. If you have the ability to get up and move or walk on your lunch break, you’ll feel a lot better because of the increased circulation. Hopefully the following stretches help relieve any tension you get from sitting at your desk. 

Standing Calf Stretch

Stand upright behind the back of your chair with your feet hip-distance apart and place your hands on the back of the chair for support. Step your right leg behind you and bend your left leg slightly. Make sure that your right heel is touching the ground and your back leg is straight. Lean forward so that you feel the stretch along your right calf. Hold for 15-20 seconds and then repeat on the other leg. 

Chair Hamstring Stretch

Remain standing behind your chair just like you did in the previous calf stretch. Place your hands on the chair and walk your feet back, hinging at the hips to lean forward until your torso is parallel to the ground. Lengthen your back and keep your legs straight, so that you feel a stretch along your hamstrings and upper back. Remain in this stretch for 30 seconds. 

Office Chair Hip Flexor Stretch

This stretch is a bit more advanced, but the relief in your hips is absolutely wonderful. Stand in a split stance, your right foot in front of your left, in front of your chair facing away from it. Place the top of your left foot on the chair and bend your knees to lower down into a lunge. If possible, bring your left knee to the floor and keep your hips squared. Straighten your back and tuck your tailbone, feeling the stretch along the front of your left hip. Remain here for 20-30 seconds before switching legs. 

Seated Back Stretch

Remain in your chair and scoot your butt all the way back in your chair. Widen your feet and point your knees outward slightly. Fold forward and allow your lower back to round and relax. You can touch your hands to the floor, or grab hold of your elbows and hang. Remain here for 30 seconds and then slowly roll back up to the starting position. 

Seated Shoulder Stretch

Sit up straight on the edge of your chair and bring your left arm across your chest. Hook your right hand or forearm just above your left elbow and hug your left arm into your chest without rounding your upper back. Hold the stretch for about 20 seconds and then switch arms to repeat.

Seated Upper Trap Stretch

Sit up straight on the edge of your chair and reach your left hand over your head to place it on the right side of your head. Keep your right arm by your side holding the chair for support and gently pull your head to the left. Think about lengthening your neck, as opposed to just pulling your head to the side and down to your shoulder. Hold for 20 seconds, rest, and repeat one more time before doing the same on the other side.

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It’s estimated that about one in four U.S. adults sits for longer than eight hours every single day. This sedentary way of life is not only detrimental to your physical health, but also your mental health. It can be intimidating, overwhelming even, to schedule an activity or gym session in an already hectic day, though. That’s why it’s integral to bring the movement to you! 

Entrepreneurs, students, parents, and commuters alike may not always have the luxury of fitting a workout into their day. A spin class, CrossFit session, or anything of the like isn’t the only way to move, though. The classic saying is, “Any movement is better than no movement.” Small activity breaks go a long way in enhancing your physical and mental well-being. During the holidays, you can contribute to your activity efforts by engaging in things that involve movement. Skiing/snowboarding, touring zoo lights, visiting botanical gardens, and more all involve movement and are great ways to stay active. Continue reading to learn about more ways to be active during everyday life.

Walking Meetings

As long as you don’t need a projector screen or white board, this is a viable option. One-on-one meetings make this option even easier. Well, that applies to people who still work in the office. A large percentage of American adults continue to work from home, so a phone meeting during a walk around the neighborhood may be a great option. Not only does it incorporate exercise into your day, but it also gives you a break from the screen!

Sit On An Exercise Ball

If you haven’t joined the standing desk revolution and still sit in a regular office chair, it’s time to change it up. Swap out that dull office chair for a stability ball. Sitting on an exercise ball can help reduce back pain by improving posture. Additionally, you have to engage your core to maintain balance while working. 

Commercial Exercise Breaks

It’s safe to say that most people opt for streaming services these days, but some people still watch regular television, which has commercials. Well, some streaming plans have commercials, too. Get your butt off the couch and incorporate squats, lunges, planks or burgess during commercial breaks. Click here to learn about the best exercises to do while watching TV. 

Take The Stairs

This may be a boring tip that you’ve heard countless times, but it’s a recurring suggestion for a reason. Whether you’re shopping in a mall, heading up to your apartment, or arriving at the office, you have the opportunity to take the stairs. Walking up stairs is an excellent cardiovascular exercise that also helps to build lower body strength. If you make it up the stairs with time to spare, do some calf raises on the top step for extra points!

Have More Sex

Yes, folks, this is a real suggestion that should hopefully excite some of you. In addition to spicing up your love life, having sex more frequently can help burn more calories. According to some research, men can burn about 4.2 calories per minute during sex, while women typically burn 3.1 calories per minute. It’s not the same as going on a run, but you can definitely work up a sweat!

Try New Activities

Not everybody thrives in the gym, but there are other ways to stay active. Have you ever wanted to learn the tango, jiu-jitsu, or archery? It’s never too late to pick up a new skill and challenge yourself. You’ll find that many things you’ve always wanted to do involve some sort of exercise. 

Do Outdoor Chores On Your Own

If you have the funds available, it’s much easier to hire gardeners to rake leaves, trim trees, pull weeds, and mow the lawn than to do all of that yourself. You probably broke a sweat just reading about all of those outdoor chores! The leaves are definitely falling and littered all over the ground. Turn it into a fun family activity and get the entire household involved. Assign everyone a specific task and don’t get mad if a leaf-throwing fight breaks out. Embrace the fun!

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The United States continues to relax COVID-19 regulations, but some businesses still have employees working from home. With laptop or desktop at the ready from a makeshift office space, people put in their long work hours. Some get distracted by screaming children, while others relish in quiet isolation. One common denominator is that many people who work from home do not have the best ergonomic setup. 

What Are Ergonomics?

Ergonomics affect every single person on the planet. You don’t have to be an ergonomics expert to understand a few basic principles. The most important thing to grasp is that ergonomics is a scientific discipline that is concerned about human interactions with a specific system. The most common one, for example, is how a human interacts with a workspace. The goal is to optimize overall well-being and body performance, specifically referring to anatomical, biochemical, and physiological functions. 

Workplace ergonomics are designed to build a healthier workspace. Many people continue to work from home, but they don’t have the same setup that work offices provide. Not everyone has an allocated office space with an ergonomic chair that encourages correct spinal positioning. Some office chairs provide lumbar support to reduce lower back pain and the risk of sciatica. Working from home has reduced ergonomics in the workspace, but there’s no need for the body to suffer.

You can easily improve ergonomics in your home workspace. There’s no need to suffer through forearm or wrist pain, shoulder pain, neck pain, lower back pain, or carpal tunnel syndrome. Many positions, especially those that can operate from home, involve static positions and poor posture. This article aims to help you correct these mistakes for optimal ergonomics at home. You’ll find five helpful tips below. 

Create A Dedicated Workspace

Claim a workspace in your home and make sure that you can set up your computer on a desk or table. Working on a couch or bed for long periods of time can cause severe neck and lower back pain. Put a chair in front of your work station and create some lower lumbar support with a cushion or pillow. If you have to take calls on the phone, use headphones or speaker phone so as to not kink your neck to the side. 

Pay Attention To Your Arms

Admire how beautiful they are. That’s not really what this tip is about, but appreciate your arms every now and again. According to health experts, it’s best to keep your arms by your sides with your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. If your chair has armrests, adjust them so that your shoulders feel relaxed when you rest your elbows on them. If your armrests cannot adjust and they are uncomfortable, flip them up or remove them. 

Follow The 20/20/20 Rule

For the sake of your eyes, it’s best to not stare at your screen for all hours of the day. To help maintain healthy vision, avert your eyes from the screen after 20 minutes of work. The 20/20/20 rule is very simple: after 20 minutes of computer work, look at something for 20 seconds that is 20 feet away. Don’t look at another screen that’s 20 feet away, though. Doing this every 20 minutes helps to relax eye muscles to reduce overall eye strain.

Get Up And Stretch

If you’re working from home, it means you have the luxury to get up and stretch in your own space. There won’t be strange looks from coworkers! For optimal spinal health, it’s best to get in the habit of standing up and stretching every 30 minutes or so. You can shake it out or engage in a five-minute stretch session. The main muscle groups to focus on include the shoulders, wrists, hips, back, neck, chest, and legs. Not only does stretching help you avoid tension, but it also encourages healthy circulation. Click here for great desk stretches.

Support Your Lower Back

One of the most common symptoms of a sitting at a desk all day is lower back pain. Some people find that standing desks are beneficial, but not everyone wants to invest in a standing desk. Not everyone is comfortable standing, either. Additionally, people may not have the space for one at home. If you want to support your lower back in your desk chair, make sure that you press your buttock firmly against the back of the chair. Many people sit at the edge of the chair and end up slouching. Roll up a towel or place a cushion behind your lower back. This creates a natural arch that prevents you from slouching forward and straining your neck, back, and shoulders. 

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Health is one of the most pertinent topics in today’s day an age. What supplements can you take to improve immunity? How can eating fermented foods benefit the gut? How much exercise is required for optimal cardiovascular function? These are excellent questions to ask and find answer to, but there are other untapped areas in which you can improve your health. 

The average American with an office job spends over eight hours each day at work. That’s one-third of the day, and it’s advantageous to make the workplace an area for wellness practices. While you may not be able to practice yoga or prepare smoothies at your job, you can maintain healthy practices at the office. Even if you make small adjustments in the office, they can benefit your health in the long run. Continue reading to learn how easy it is to make small changes for better office health. 

Change Up Your Levels

Lower back problems, neck soreness, and tight hips are common symptoms of a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting in a desk chair all day creates unnecessary tension in the body. Sitting for one hour can decrease the production of fat-burning enzymes by 90%. If that isn’t reason to stand or move about the office, we don’t know what is! Invest in a standing desk so you can alternate from a seated to standing position as you please. Additionally, standing can help increase productivity!

Get Some Office Plants

There’s nothing wrong with inviting more greenery into your indoor spaces. Studies have shown that numerous plants help to improve indoor air quality. Believe it or not, indoor air is more polluted than you realize, but plants are natural air purifiers. Additionally, studies found that having more plants inside helps to improve productivity, creativity, and overall mood.

Use Aromatherapy

Don’t bother purchasing air fresheners or candles with artificial scents. They actually release irritating chemicals into the air, which can worsen indoor air quality. Instead, choose an essential oil diffuser that emits a subtle, all-natural aroma. There are certain oils, like lemon and lavender, that can help reduce stress and improve respiratory function.

Plan Healthy Lunches

The cubicle diet can detract from a healthy lifestyle. Many people fail to plan their lunches and end up choosing unhealthy options at the last minute due to insatiable hunger or convenience. If you want to enjoy healthy lunch options, your best bet is to bring your lunches to work. Be intentional about your lunch meal so that it offers essential nutrients, supporting healthy eating habits. You can even take it so far as to meal prep lunches for the entire week!

Engage In Midday Stretches

Stretching is one of the best ways to counteract the negative effects of sitting. Tension can build up in the back, neck, and shoulders. Studies show that anger is a common emotion that’s associated with tension build-up. Get ahead of tension by practicing basic stretches and breath work on your lunch break. 

Put Your Phone Away

The cellphone is one of the biggest distractions in today’s day and age. You can be at your desk scrolling through Instagram or playing games during a workout. The cellphone is a huge interruption, an addiction even. While you’re at work, try to put your cellphone away in a drawer so that you are not tempted to check it constantly. Check your phone at set times throughout the day. When you don’t check your phone so often, you’ll reduce the risk of tech neck.

Always Refill Your Water Bottle

Most people don’t drink enough water, especially in the office. It’s beneficial to keep a reusable 24-ounce water bottle at your desk. Aim to consume at least three full bottles every day. That’s three refills, people! Staying hydrated can actually prevent you from over-snacking, which is a common symptom of dehydration. Take trips to the water cooler every 90 minutes or so, walk around, and then return to your work station.

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Between working on computers and checking Instagram or playing games on the phone, most people develop neck problems and poor posture. Aptly dubbed “tech neck,” the pain worsens with the continued use of screens. Whether you crane your head down while checking emails or slouch in a chair while entering data, the pressure can cause immense stiffness and strain on the neck. 

What Is Tech Neck?

The vertebrae in the neck are only meant to handle 10-12 pounds, which is the head’s neutral weight. When you crane your neck, angling it down and forward to look at screens, you actually apply up to 50 pounds of pressure on the bones and muscles. The sad truth is that people don’t realize how hunched over they are when they look at screens. They assume a subconscious position that puts undue stress on the neck. Many doctors have had to recommend rehabilitation for people with tech neck because they experience:

• Muscle spasms
• Headaches
• Neck and upper back stiffness
• Trap pain 
• Sharp shoulder pain

People have dramatically increased screen time over the years, which explains tech neck. The good thing is that you can reverse the condition, alleviating your body from current discomfort and pain. Use the following five tips to help reverse your tech neck. 

Download Posture Apps

You’re most likely on your phone for a good portion of the day, so why not download another app that benefits your health? Posture apps send you reminders to correct your posture. Some apps are even hooked up to a device that you adhere between your shoulder blades. This device detects how often you slouch and it can give you a little vibration to remind you to sit up straight. 

Engage In Stretches

Chiropractors recommend engaging in certain stretches throughout the workday, provided you work at a computer. The easiest stretch is to sit on the edge of your chair and interlace your fingers behind your back near your buttocks. Pull your shoulders down and squeeze the shoulder blades together. Hold this position for about 30 seconds and be sure to take deep breaths throughout the stretch. Relax and repeat for a total of three or four times. Following your workday, you can engage in prone stretches or exercises. These include baby cobra, superman holds, and upward facing dog.

Try A Standing Desk

Standing up is a great way to improve your posture, but you have to make sure that you pay attention so that you don’t slouch. When you stand up to work, it’s best to have your computer at eye level. This helps you avoid looking down or up, both of which cause strain in the neck. If you don’t want to stand up and work, sit in an ergonomic chair with a headrest to avoid flexing the neck forward. You can also try to sit on an exercise ball to sit up straight. 

Be Aware Of Your Posture

It’s easy to neglect your posture, so correcting your slouching or craning neck requires work on your part. You can’t just ignore it because you are probably unaware of how often you slouch. Set reminders on your phone or smartwatch to look up. Additionally, when you sit down in a chair, keep your feet flat on the floor with your shoulders down. Hold in your lower abdomen and this will help tremendously. You can also rest your elbows on your desk to help prop up your upper body. 

Take Breaks

Whether you work from home or work at a desk, you can improve your posture by taking a break every hour. You can even implement these breaks into your off days. Motion is the lotion that you need for healthy muscles and joints. Remaining in one position for hours on end inhibits blood flow to the muscle and joints, making them stiff over time and causing pain. Get up and incorporate motion into your day to take that strain away from your neck and shoulders.  

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Sitting down for a good portion of the day can be crippling for a number of reasons. If you spend hours on your bum, you can develop lower back pain, bad eating habits, and you can even age yourself by eight years. This is why we always encourage people to get up and move, no matter what movement or exercise you choose.

Recent studies indicate that too much sitting can have long-lasting damage on your body. Chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and cancer can be the result of sitting down all day. This is because being sedentary can add years to your life at a cellular level, i.e. you will be more prone to developing certain illnesses because your cells aren’t as healthy.

A study with 1,500 elderly women found that those who sat for long periods of time were eight years older on a biological, not chronological, level. This University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine study saw that these women, aged 64-95, who had minimal physical activity, had shorter telomeres than the women who exercised for 30 minutes a day.

A telomere is the end of a DNA strand that helps measure biological aging. Telomeres get shorter and shorter until cells can no longer divide, thus causing the cells to die. The women who sat for upwards of 10 hours a day had telomeres that indicated about eight additional years of aging. For your knowledge, every cigarette smoked decreases one’s life expectancy by 11 minutes. If you sit for 10 hours a day, sitting can be worse than smoking.

From this study, researchers determined that exercise has anti-aging effects on the body. This is why some offices are getting standing desks. People also swap out office chairs for inflatable exercise balls so they can continually move throughout the day. If bouncing on an exercise ball or standing up to work doesn’t appeal to you, try doing 20 squats every hour while you’re at work. Make an effort to go outside and walk for 10 minutes on your lunch break too!

Movement is the key to keeping your cells healthy. If you are older and are chair-bound, try seated exercises or aqua aerobics. If you like competing with yourself, get a fitness tracker to meet daily step goals. Just don’t attach this tracker to your pet to increase your count!

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