Get Off Your Butt!
Think about it. You sit for everything:
• Driving
• Working
• Eating
• Watching a movie
• Waiting for appointments
• Going to the bathroom
Sitting is the new addiction.
Choosing to be more active sounds simple, but that doesn’t translate to easy.
Science Daily News published a study from University College London in early 2020, which reported,
“Too much time sitting still is linked to an increased risk of depressive symptoms in adolescents.”
As a chiropractor, I deal with a lot of sitting-related issues.
Here are a few ideas of how you can help yourself:
• Take the stairs
• Park in the back of the lot
• Walk the long way to your mailbox
• Ride a bike to work
• Take a walk at lunch
• A two-minute break every half hour for stretching
Symptoms of sitting too long include:
• Back pain and sciatica
• Neck pain
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Clots or DVT (deep venous thrombosis)
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
Ergonomic chairs and furniture may not be something you can implement right away, That’s okay!
Here are a few good posture tips:
• Sit up straight and support your back with a pillow
• At your desk, make sure your elbows are at 90-degree angles.
• When standing or sitting, keep your neck and shoulders straight.
• Avoid looking down at screens. Hold them up!
• When sitting, rest your feet on the floor so your knees are at least 90 degrees.
• At your desk, keep your mouse close so you don’t have to extend your elbow.
• Roll your shoulders and neck frequently.
• Move often, sitting no more than an hour at a time.
These tips can help, and if you need more help, give me a call. We can chat and get you some more answers. Until then!
