At Reza Chiropractic, we’re concerned about how often you sit—and how it might be hurting your health.
Not only does sitting for over six hours a day put you at an increased risk for diabetes, but researchers have also found that it can increase your risk for heart disease by 64%, and shorten your lifespan by up to 7 years! That’s pretty scary to think about—especially when sitting is, well, kind of necessary.
After all, it’s not like we can exactly forfeit the 40+hours a week we spend at our desks working to live a more active lifestyle. However, between the time spent sitting at work, and the time spent sitting during various other activities—driving, eating, watching TV—our sedentary lifestyles are taking a toll on our health.
So What Does Reza Chiropractic Recommend?
The first step in preventing or reversing the damage caused by sitting, is understanding exactly why it is so bad for our bodies and overall health. When the patients at Reza Chiropractic come to us with various issues, the first step we take is making sure they understand exactly what is wrong, by identifying the root cause of the issue—not just masking the symptoms.
Often times when we sit, we are leaning in and reaching our necks forward, which strains our cervical vertebrae and causes imbalances. Similarly, slouching causes the discs in our spine to squish together, putting unnecessary pressure on them which can lead to subluxations, and herniated discs. Also, this causes the collagen around them to harden, making them less effective at supporting ligaments and tendons.
Sitting for long periods of time decreases our metabolism and causes poor circulation, which, over time, can put you at risk for muscle degeneration and other health problems.
At Reza Chiropractic, it is important for us to not only help treat the disorders and ailments bothering our patients, but it’s our mission o help prevent them from occurring in the first place as well.
If you can’t avoid sitting, and, let’s face it—most of us can’t—you should, at the very least, consider following the following tips to prevent and reduce health issues caused by sitting.
- Sit properly. While sitting at a desk, your feet should sit flat on the floor, with your knees at a 90 degree angle. Make sure your lower back is supported, and your chair is pushed far enough in that you can comfortable reach your keyboard, with your shoulders relaxed, arms close to your site, and elbows at a 90 degree angle. (You could also consider getting a standing desk!)
- Take a break every hour. It doesn’t need to be a long break. But try at least once every one to two hours, to get up and walk around.
- Perform miscellaneous tasks while standing/walking. While talking on your cell phone or having a meeting with another employee, walk around as much as possible. If you don’t absolutely have to be sitting at your desk for what you’re doing, don’t! Also consider eating your lunch while standing.
- Visit a chiropractor. The best form of treatment is prevention. With postural screenings, x-rays, adjustments and manipulations, massage therapy, and corrective exercises, at Reza Chiropractic we can provide you with all the tools, resources, and medical treatment necessary to make sure you are in optimal health!