Some of us may have already heard about the health benefits chiropractors can provide. Chiropractors are health experts who focus on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases related to neuromuscular issues.
Alternative therapies help achieve proper alignment of the body’s musculoskeletal structure. According to them, the human body is not designed to sit for long hours. However, in our modern workplace nowadays, the perils of sitting become rampant, thus, need to be avoided.
Harmful Effects of Sitting Everyone Must Be Aware Of
Sitting is said to be as dangerous as smoking. This is because it can be the root of various problems in health and work productivity. Here are four of them, which are all critical to know and be aware of:
#1 Sitting can increase the chance a severe disease
Researches have revealed that people engaged with sedentary jobs are more at risk of developing health issues such as diabetes, chronic pain, and cardiovascular diseases. People who sit more often in a day can suffer from discomfort and aches, as well.
#2 Sitting for longer periods each day is proven to cause back problems
Using traditional desks in the workplace can lead employees to be stagnant in their position for an extended time. Sitting puts an excessive amount of pressure on the back, and such a condition can bring pains and worsens if not correctly treated.
Try to sit with your back straight every time you feel like you are slouching. It will take a bit of time to get used to sitting in the correct position, however, if you’re persistent, in time you will notice a huge difference in your posture, and you will stop experiencing back and neck pain.
#3 Sitting can lead to premature death
The diseases that extensive sitting causes will also increase the likelihood of premature death. Unfortunately sitting for extensive periods of time may result in hypertension.
#4 Sitting decreases metabolism
Weight gain can also be caused by sitting or a sedentary lifestyle—more than 8 hours of sitting lower the metabolism rate, leading to various health problems. The more we sit, the fewer the calories that can be burned.
Helpful Tips and Advice from Chiropractors
Chiropractors offer various tips and advice on how we can prevent the dangers of sitting. These tips can be applied through workplace ergonomics or keeping a good posture on your daily schedule. Your chiropractor believes that your spine must be properly aligned for overall better health.
When you visit your chiropractor, he will review your medical history, so he will be able to find out the needed adjustments. Many patients who have experienced a chiropractor’s treatment have proven to have an overall health improvement, mental clarity, better metabolism, and improved digestion.
Improve Your Sitting, According to Chiropractors
The problem with today’s working trends is that most of us need to do our job while sitting. The unfortunate part is that sitting can pose risks to our health when not given proper attention.
Our busy schedule makes it hard to find time to go to the gym or do some exercises. The good thing is that you can do some stretchings at home and in the office.
Here is an easy exercise that you can do. This will save you from the risks of sitting and tone your abdomen and legs.
- Sit with your feet lined up with your hips. Then, put your hands on your thighs.
- Tighten your muscles in your abdomen and buttocks.
- Inhale and sit down slowly.
- Repeat this ten times.
Tips on Preventing Back Pain Due To Sitting
If your job requires you to sit most of the day, it will not be easy to undo its effects at once. That’s why chiropractors advise to minimize or avoid sitting as much as possible. If it’s not possible, make sure to have your chair adjusted properly.
Adjust your chair’s height to make sure that your feet are flat on the floor, while your hips are slightly higher than your knees. Cashiers, typists, and other workers with such a nature of jobs should consider this tip. They can also adjust the seat base to make it tilt forward while putting more weight through the thighs.
It is also advisable to use a chair without arms to be moved closer to the desk. That way, the worker won’t need to extend the hands to reach the keyboard, for instance.
Adjust the back support to make the sacrum, or the part of the pelvis supported. Make sure not to force the back in an exaggerated forward curve.
Choose a desk with the correct height to complement the chair. Sit with your elbows at the right angles in line with the top of your office.
It’s also a smart idea to have a standing desk. This will ensure that you will not sit all day. Investing in a standing desk is a growing trend today and is proven to be effective in terms of productivity and efficiency.
Other Easy Tips To Do To Prevent The Risks of Sitting
You can apply some tips to prevent or minimize the adverse effects of sitting, whether you are at home and work.
Take a walk
Walking is an effective form of exercise. It will be great if you can schedule a time to walk around during the day. It can be during a break at work or going back home after office hours.
Some people also do this early in the morning to warm up the beginning of their day. You can set it as an alarm on your mobile phone to make sure you’re not going to miss it.
Learn to sit properly and apply it at home and in the office
As mentioned before, you first need to choose an ergonomic chair to keep you as comfortable and efficient as possible. An ergonomic chair allows you to sit properly, and you can adjust the chair’s angles however you like.
While ergonomic chairs encourage your body to sit and align itself properly if you can’t afford to buy one right away try to correct your position while sitting. If you continuously slouch, your spine will suffer, and you will experience back and neck pain.
Visit a chiropractor
For back problems and other discomforts due to spine-related conditions, a piece of advice and treatment from the expert is needed. If not given prompt attention, these can worsen the situation.
Let a chiropractor examine and work on the problem. They can advise you to have some alignment procedures or give some practical recommendations to improve your condition.
Conclusion
We all know that good health is one of our most valuable assets (actually, our most valuable asset). We can reap vast rewards when we take care of it. It is not just about living longer, but being healthier longer. Knowing the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle can be an eye-opener for us to be aware of the activities that will promote better physical and emotional health.
If you feel like you can’t do this alone or if you are in too much pain, it is worth talking to a specialist, a chiropractor, to better your health. A lot of people have office jobs which means they have to sit at their desks for extended periods of time. However, try as much as you can to alternate between sitting and standing and doing a few stretches to relieve body stiffness.
