The majority of Americans spend at least six hours per day sitting, and for those with desk jobs, the amount of sedentary time can be even more, studies have found.
All of that sitting — one study concluded most Americans spend at least 70 percent of their waking hours sitting — can take a toll on the body.
“Our bodies were designed to move,” said Paul Reed, a chiropractor at Bridge Chiropractic in Vancouver, “so the more we sit, the less our bodies are doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
In addition to the cardio and joint function benefits, movement sends nutrients to specific joints, flushes the lymphatic system and stimulates cognitive function, Reed said.
Too much time sitting means the body is missing out on those benefits of movement. But poor posture while sitting can lead to even more problems for the body.
“Down the road, after years of doing this same repetitive bad posture, they come to us with chronic pain, stiffness and discomfort,” Reed said.
Kaia French, a physical therapist at Kaiser Permanente’s Orchards medical office, said she often sees patients with neck and back pain and shoulder issues because they’re sitting for prolonged periods throughout the day. But generalized pain is only part of the problem, she said.
People can develop chronic headaches as a result of poor posture because muscles are being taxed and strained, French said. They can also develop disc issues and injuries from prolonged compression, which can lead to radiating pain that travels down the arms, she said.
Proper posture can prevent muscles from becoming overused and strained from trying to fight gravity, French said.
“Your back and spine act as building blocks, and they support your body so your muscles don’t have to work so hard,” she said.
So what does proper sitting posture look like?
A good rule is to keep your ears, shoulders and hips aligned, Reed said. Someone looking at your body from the side should see a straight line, just like they would if you were standing, he said.
“It’s uncomfortable for a lot of people, honestly, because they’ve done it wrong for so long,” Reed said.
Maintaining the natural curve in your lower back while sitting is also important, French said. A lumbar support pillow or a rolled-up towel can help, she said.
French also reminds her patients to keep the back of their necks tall and the front of their necks short.
“It just keeps their head and neck in better position,” she said.
French and Reed offered a few other tips to help people maintain proper posture throughout the work day:
• Get up and move: “Get up and move every hour,” Reed said. “That’s a big one.”
Once an hour, walk around the office or take a trip to the water fountain. Even a short distance will help, Reed said.
French recommends changing positions every 30 minutes, even for just 30 seconds. While sitting, muscles get tense and blood flow decreases. Moving helps the body recover, French said.
“The more you move throughout the day, the better off you’ll be,” she said.
• Adjust your workspace: Make sure your computer screen is positioned so you are slightly gazing up at the screen, rather than down, Reed said.
“It’ll naturally force you to have to sit better,” he said.
A headset can be beneficial for those who are on the phone throughout the day, French said. Headsets allow you to talk and type without kinking your neck to cradle the phone, she said.
Adjusting the arm rests on chairs is also important, French said. Ensuring arm rests are at the proper height to support the weight of your arms prevents the arms from hanging down and pulling on neck muscles, she said.
• Stretch: Doing exercises throughout the day can help relax the muscles and release tension, French said.
Raising your arms up over your head will stretch out the muscles from the armpit to the trunk that get tight throughout the day, she said.
Shoulder blade squeezes — pulling your shoulder blades back and squeezing — will relax shoulders and allow you to get into a better position, French said. And standing back bends — standing and arching your back slightly — will offset the slouch position you’ve been in while sitting, she said.
• Think about your posture: Just being aware of your poor posture can go a long way toward breaking the poor habits you’ve built up over the years, Reed said.
“It’s just really important to be cognizant of your posture,” he said. “Self-awareness is important.”
