Sitting in a Chair for Long Periods Can Give You Low Back Pain and Boosts the Risk of Early Death

Wrong (L) and Right (R) sitting positions   Image Credit: hightechfinland.fi

The human body is composed of organs that are part of different body systems that allow the human body to work. The design of the body will be explored as well as the different tissues that combine to make the different organs such as the heart and lungs.

But when we don't take proper care of it, parts of that organs can slip up and break down with devastating results.

Someone once said “It hurts the most when I sit. The longer I sit the more it hurts. It also hurts when I stand in one spot too long too”

Many people who trade their time for money especially in offices spend more than half their waking hours working operating a computer, sitting in traffic and watching TV.

Researches have shown that sitting for long periods of time significantly boosts the risk of early death, heart disease, diabetes and cancer — even if you exercise regularly.

The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, shows that people who sit 8 or 9 hours a day have the greatest risk of suffering life-threatening health hazards.

In addition, a U.S. study published recently in the British Medical Journal found that women who sat for a long time every day had double or even triple the risk of a dangerous blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis.

Deep vein thrombosis is caused when the wall of a blood vessel is damaged (through injury, such as a broken bone or surgery) or if the blood clots more easily than normal (as a result of medication or genetics).

It can also be triggered by the blood flow slowing down considerably — such as when you are immobile for a long time.

Some experts are so convinced by the specific link between prolonged periods at a computer and DVT that they have coined a new term for it: e-thrombosis.

‘If you sit for 90 minutes or more at a desk, the blood flow behind your knees decreases by 50 percent, significantly increasing the chance of a DVT,’ says Professor Beverley Hunt, consultant in haematology at Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospitals in London.

‘It is vital to take regular breaks every hour or so: get up, walk about, rotate your ankles and stretch out your calf muscles.

Following any period of prolonged inactivity, a regimen of low-impact exercises is advised. Speed walking, swimming, or stationary bike riding 30 minutes daily can increase muscle strength and flexibility. Yoga also can help stretch and strengthen muscles and improve posture. Consult a physician for a list of low-impact, age-appropriate exercises that are specifically targeted to strengthening lower back and abdominal muscles.