The Bottom Line on Sitting
Article contributed by Dr. Eric Plasker, Marietta, GA
It’s not your work that’s killing you. It’s the sitting. Millions of people working from their home and offices spend way too much time in their chairs. In fact, the average person working eight hours a day over a forty year career span, will spend nearly fifteen years of it sitting! A habit that can lead to more than just a numb bum!
Immobility from sitting can cause a host of physical problems from poor circulation to chronic back and nerve pain, swollen spinal discs, fatigue and many other health problems. For women, this poses more of a health challenge since they are more likely than men to hold jobs that require them to sit the majority of the time.
Not only is being sedentary no fun. It’s costly. According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the U.S. will spend $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years treating a wide range of debilitating ailments resulting from sedentary lifestyle such as diabetes, depression, osteoporosis, certain cancers, even sexual dysfunction.
Stand Up for Yourself
Have you ever known someone who sat so still in their office chair that their motion activated, energy saving overhead lights shut off? It’s a sure sign that it’s time to get up and shake off what’s commonly called “sedentary office syndrome.” The President’s Council recently identified Sedentary Death Syndrome (SeDS) as a growing life-threatening risk for many unsuspecting Americans.
Here are a few Live Long and Strong health tips that can keep you out of harm’s way and at the top of your game in the workplace.
- Set a timer: don’t allow yourself to sit for more than 50 minutes at a time. Get up and stretch your legs before you get back in your chair.
- Be a swinger: during your ten minute breaks, you can increase the circulation in your legs and the mobility in your joints by performing this simple exercise. Stand with your hands on your hips and your legs slightly more than shoulder width apart. Rotate your hips clockwise in a full range of motion ten times, and then reverse the direction for ten more repetitions. Next, move your legs forward and backward in a swinging motion.
- Don’t sit Crooked or slouch: Sitting with one foot underneath your other leg causes twisting of your spine, leading to chronic pain and degeneration. Slouching has the same effect and causes spine deterioration.
Be Kind to Your Spine
Sitting is to the spine like sugar is to the teeth. Regular chiropractic check-ups, exams and adjustments can realign the structure and remove interference to your nervous system. You can also ask your chiropractor about nutritional, exercise and stretching techniques that will keep you safe from SeDS. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So stand up for yourself and keep the momentum going!
Pruitt Chiropractic
88 East Main Road
Middletown, Rhode Island
(401) 847.8889
www.pruittchiropractic.com
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