Sitting All Day? Here is the Cure!

Over 85% of the US workforce sits in front of a computer all day. This is a fact of life in the 21st Century. If you are reading this digital newsletter, then there is a good chance you are part of that 85%. But fear not. Even though sitting has been labeled the “new smoking”, and prolonged sitting can have adverse effects on your health, that doesn’t have to be the case.

Why is sitting for too long considered bad? When we sit for extended periods of time with no physical activity, we put ourselves at risk for developing metabolic disease. Metabolic disease includes hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, heart failure, stroke, heart attack, increased cholesterol levels, and increased blood sugar.

Our musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, muscles) develops imbalances that lead to pain, poor movement patterns and ultimately irreversible degenerative changes (arthritis). Typically people slouched over a computer all day will develop a forward head posture with rounded shoulders, tight upper trapezius and pec minor, anterior pelvic tilt with tight hip flexors and lumbar erector muscles. Essentially the body adapts to the prolonged sitting posture and normal, healthy movement patterns are lost.

What can I do about it? Fortunately, studies have shown that 60-75 minutes of exercise per day can offset the sitting and help prevent the onset of metabolic disease, improve posture, and restore normal healthy movement patterns. I recommend to my patients that they divide their weekly exercise into 3 categories. Stability/mobility training. Strength training. Aerobic capacity (zone 2 and High Intensity Training (HIT) which includes CrossFit.) Just a note here. When I talk to my patient’s about exercise, I am not talking about training to deadlift 500 pounds or win a strongman competition or marathon. I am talking about training with the goal of improving long-term health. Meaning the goal for them is to be able to stay healthy, functional, and independent into their 90’s or 100’s.

What specific exercises should I do to improve posture? To counteract the adverse effects of sitting I recommend the following: (This is just a basic format not specifically tailored to any one individual. I recommend everyone get checked by a corrective chiropractor with a back round in Sports Medicine prior beginning any exercise routine especially if they are experiencing pain. )

Upper Body:

  • Blackburn Scapular Exercises

  • Band work - including face pulls, rows, Crossover Symmetry

  • Horizontal pulling - variations barbell/dumbbell/pulley rows.

Lower Body

  • 7 Way Hips

  • Glute bridges/hip thrusts

  • Lunges or Bulgarian split squats

  • Sampson Stretch

  • Dead Bugs

  • Lateral band walks

  • Kettlebell Swings

    Include at least one of these movements for the upper body and one for the lower body every time you do strength or stability training. They can be a stand alone exercise or part of your warm-up and movement prep which is where I like to stick the majority of these.

Christopher Olivieri