Remember, our bodies are designed to move! Many of us however are trapped commuting to work or spending long hours at a desk staring at a computer screen, in the current climate sitting at home for long periods of time without movement. For all of the advantages of the modern world, we have noticed an increase in sedentary tendencies. Shockingly, this mostly sedentary lifestyle has been linked to a vast array of disease. Researchers have found too much sitting each day is as dangerous as smoking! Yes, it’s true. Too much time sitting is turning into one of our most challenging health epidemics.
Long hours of sitting each day wreak havoc on the muscles and support system of your low back. The deep stabilizing muscles of your low back atrophy and your hamstrings shorten or become tight. This leads to a combination of events. Our body perceives that we are in a fight or flight response due to a stressor. When your spine doesn’t have strong stabilizing muscles, you are then more likely to have an injury. After an injury, many of us slow down our activity even more leading to more sitting or being sedentary. It’s a vicious cycle! But, you have the power to stop this cycle with a combination of Chiropractic care and exercise. Here are a few pointers:
- Too much sitting is now considered as dangerous as smoking.
- Our bodies are designed to move.
- Sedentary lifestyles can lead to a vast array of diseases, but exercise and chiropractic can halt many of these challenges.
Considering the dangers of too much sitting, you should take every opportunity you can to stay active throughout the day. Standing desks are a fantastic way to change positions and keep your back healthy while still getting work done on the computer. However, it is movement which produces the biggest difference. Taking short breaks each hour at a minimum to stretch or walk around the office or home is a great way to increase your energy level and engage the muscles supporting your low back. If you’re technologically savvy, there are even wearable devices available you can program to give you a small vibration as a reminder that it’s time to stand up and to get moving!
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