As a physiotherapist, my patients would walk into the room and immediately give me a knowingly guilty look for why they were coming to me with neck and back pain.  Before I even ask them a question, they immediately reveal to me, “I work a 9-5 job, sit at my desk all day and I know I don’t have the greatest posture.  I’m just so busy that I forget”.  We all know that sitting all day is detrimental to our health, but we don’t address it until it’s too late – headaches, neck pain, back stiffness, poor focus and concentration, fatigue – What is it doing to us in the long run?  And what can we do about it?

Although technology and global culture have evolved at such a pace that has allowed for great worldwide enterprises, our bodies have not evolved at the same rate.  We weren’t meant to sit for hours at our desks, work lengthy hours, have a constant high level of stress, and be isolated in our cubicles or offices.  As a result, we’ve stepped into an era where the “sitting disease” is now considered the new smoking, in terms of potential health risks and consequences on our longevity.  We can speak at length about the social implications of our sedentary lifestyles; however, as a physiotherapist, let’s delve into the physical concerns of sitting and solutions for corporate wellness.

What can sitting for long periods of time do to us?

• Reduce muscle tone causing muscle weakness and joint instability

• Increase risk of injuries

• Increase risk of osteoporosis

• Decrease mood

• Decrease brain function, such as focus and concentration

• Decrease energy levels

• Decrease overall blood circulation and lymphatic drainage, affecting every bodily system

• Reduce the ability to breathe properly

• Reduce metabolism and insulin sensitivity

• Decrease digestive health

• Increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by affecting levels of HDL and LDL and blood pressure

…and what most people usually come to see me for are the headaches and bodily aches and pains that they experience from sitting for long periods of time with poor posture.  These deviations from normal spinal alignment result in postural compensations that change the length and tension of muscles and the position of joints.  Although patients initially come to me for their aches and pains, they soon realize that their issues with mood, productivity, and fatigue are also related to sitting for long periods of time.

So, what can we do about our sitting desk jobs?

There are many ways to combat our sedentary lifestyles, it’s just a matter of taking proactive action over our health and forming positive habits.  As a physiotherapist, I’ll focus on what I discuss with my patients when we determine that their aches and pains are attributed to their desk jobs.

• Modifying your work environment: Since sitting is inevitable, it’s a good idea to figure out how you can change your workstation so that it is conducive to good posture.  Whether your workplace has an ergonomic consultant or you work with your physiotherapist to discuss what changes need to be made, there are many ways in which your workstation can be modified for your benefit.  It could be the height of your desk, chair, or computer screen, the distance of your computer screen from your eyes, the way you sit in your chair, or whether your arms are supported, among many others things.  If your workstation is rigid and non-modifiable, there are still ways to make it work better for you, such as placing a stool under your feet if your chair doesn’t go any lower.

• Changing your posture regularly: When my patients tell me that they know that their bad posture contributes to their pain, I reply back, “What if I told you that you can slouch all you want?”. They look at me in shock, and perhaps momentarily assume that I am a bad physiotherapist, but then I immediately add, “As long as you balance it out with good posture and movement.”. It is extremely difficult to maintain “perfect” posture for hours on end – I bet you that even ballerinas can’t hold their posture for an 8-hour workday! Therefore, it is not the fact that you sit with a slouched posture that causes your pain, but rather the fact that you’re sitting with a slouched posture for hours on end that causes headaches, neck, and back pain. If you change your position every couple of minutes and take some time every 30 minutes to stand up, take a walk, or do some stretches, you can combat many of the effects of sitting hunched over your desk.

• Adding stretches throughout your work day: The most common issues I hear are headaches, neck pain, back pain, and arm pain (which can range from the shoulder all the way down to the fingers). Unless there are other underlying structural problems that need to be addressed, there are simple stretches that can be done every 15 to 20 minutes to help keep our bodies limber and pain-free during a long workday. The following stretches are beneficial for anyone who sits for long periods of time and wants to combat the effects of sitting; however, please speak to a health care professional to determine whether these stretches are appropriate for you.

Head and Neck:

1. Pull your head back as if you’re making a double chin. Hold for a couple of seconds and then release.

2. Use one hand to gently bend your head to one side. Slowly release and repeat on the other side.

3. Make circles with your head. Repeat in the other direction.

Shoulders:

1. Roll your shoulders in a backwards direction.

2. Place your hands behind your head and open up your elbows and chest.

3. Place one hand behind your neck and then pull the elbow upwards with your other hand. Hold for a couple of seconds and then release. Repeat with the other side.

Back:

1. Stand up and place your hands behind your back. Gently lean back. Hold for a couple of seconds and then release.

2. Place one hand in front of you and the other behind you. Gently rotate to one side. Hold for a couple of seconds and then release. Repeat in the other direction.

3. Reach one hand up to the ceiling and bend to the opposite side. Hold for a couple of seconds and then release. Repeat in the other direction.

Of course, there are many other stretches that are beneficial and may be better suited for your specific needs; however, these stretches are a good start if you want to be proactive about your health and prevent the negative outcomes of sitting.  Now, it’s just a matter of making these a habit.  Whether it’s putting up post-it notes all over your workstation, putting a reminder on your phone to do your stretches every 15 minutes, or placing a mirror by your desk to remind you of your posture, these are the small steps that lead to a healthier and happier work life.

As the saying goes, if we can’t beat them (the evil sitting desk job), join them!