How many hours a day do you sit?

Sitting is an epidemic.

We sit to watch tv – We sit to eat – We sit to read – We sit to work – We sit to drive our cars. We spend so much time sitting and the majority of us sit with bad posture. We slump in our chairs and all the while the load all the pressure that’s put on our spine is causing us to ache more and more.

Imagine the scenario – I spent 3 years sitting on a very comfy sofa, making jewellery for hours and hours – I loved it so much that I always lost track of time. Eventually id stop for a coffee break and attempt to stand up – my back seemed fixed in the seated position each time I stood up – I really had to force myself into an upright position. My shoulders and neck would ache regularly – but I carried on thinking it would work itself out. However, it didn’t – why?

Well you see our body is so clever it recognises how we position ourselves and helps us get strong in that position – so hunched over, shoulders rounded, hip flexors shortened from seated position, lumbar spine loaded as its being transferred directly to the pelvis and sacrum area – all of this means the body decides this is how you want to be positioned so Ill help you by keeping you in that position. Until the compensatory position you are in causes you problems and imbalances and you start aching.

So what can you do? We have to sit, our jobs make us sit, our lifestyle means we sit – we have to sit but do we have to ache.

Counteracting bad posture.

1.Stretches will help massively. Try this – Sit in a relaxed straight position – Your feet should be parallel to one another and arms down by the sides – inhale – exhale and gently pull your stomach toward your back. Knees are a little bent in. Take your arms out to the side and raise above your head and interlace the fingers. Stretch upwards, hold for 10 seconds. Stretch backwards causing an arch in the back, hold for 10 seconds. Sitting straight with neutral spine, stretch slightly to the left, hold for 10 seconds. Stretch slightly to the right, hold for 10 seconds.

2.When you arrive at work – take the stairs! Laugh in the face of the lift and give your body a good stretch and a bit of a cardio work out.

3. Some exercises can be discreet – this isometric glutes exercise is one of them. Seated, squeezed those buttock muscles and hold for 10 seconds, and release. Keep doing this for as long as you can – until those glutes tire out.

4. If you are working from home, or doing a hobby such as jewellery making or crafting – set an alarm clock for every 20 minutes – get up walk about, do some gentle lunges and squats – even do some jumping jacks- whatever it is just get up and move and really really stick to it.

If you want to avoid back issues as you get older and want to carry on pain free doing your hobbies – then really take care of that back. If you can stand whilst working – do it. I know from experience the pain you can get and the posture issues that will develop if you carry on doing what you are doing.

If you need any 121 assistance contact me direct and I will work with you to address any issues.