How do I stay upright?

How do I stay upright?

At work, on the road and at home, we sit all day. Much more than before when we didn't have back pain yet. How come? First of all, because there are more and more office jobs than before. And a major second cause is the TV and computer at home. After work we sit at home and watch Netflix. That is absolutely not good for our bodies.

Back problems from sitting too much

As a back specialist, we encounter many people with back pain. For example, back problems can be common in a standing profession, such as a hairdresser. Or a physically demanding profession such as working in construction. But we will ignore that here. This concerns the large group of people with back pain who have a sedentary job.

In addition to back pain, there are a number of disadvantages to sitting too much. namely 2.5 times the risk of cardiovascular disease and 2 times the risk of diabetes. Even the risk of burnout increases if you sit too much!

Why does sitting hurt?

The most common cause is incorrect sitting posture. Are you slumped? With your head forward (fencing) or are your shoulders slumped? Then these are all examples of a wrong attitude. E this always causes back pain! Often only after a number of hours, but sometimes even after a few minutes. This has to do with the condition and muscle strength of your back.

What happens if I sit too much?

It is a fact that physical fitness decreases after the age of 30. Especially if we don't exercise enough. Our muscles shrink. We are not so flexible anymore. And some other things such as coordination and mobility are decreasing. And on top of that, our endurance decreases. Ales is becoming less unfortunately. And because everything is less, we also become heavier. And that in turn leads to back pain. Can you still follow it? And other disadvantages of sitting for too long are sleep problems and concentration problems

Back pain due to lack of exercise

So now you know. Sitting is very bad for you. So our advice is to move more and sit less. If you are already sitting, our advice is to sit upright. If you have to sit down, try to move around in between. Stop with internal emails and go to a colleague. So nice and you got moving again! Other tips are:

• Get your own tea or coffee
• Also do exercises while sitting. A stress ball or some stretching exercises, everything helps!
• Meetings can be held standing. Then they often last even shorter.
• During the break, go outside in the fresh air. That will cheer you up!
• Provide the right workplace. Everything at the right height and of course a Backjoy on the chair

Sitting less is even better than exercising more

Yes, it really is. Sports are of course very good. But sitting less works just as well. A combination of both is of course the best! Yoga is also a good way to strengthen the back. There are many apps that contain all kinds of yoga exercises. Takes you 5 to 10 minutes a day! Add some music and it's great!

How should I sit properly?

Despite all the above tips, you still spend quite a bit of time sitting each day. Then it is important to work on a good sitting posture. These are tips for sitting well:

• Always sit straight. Preferably with a hollow back. (Backjoy does that automatically for you)
• Slide your buttocks firmly against the backrest (or in the Backjoy)
• Everything at 90 degrees. So the knees are 90 degrees, the elbows, etc.
• Rest your arms on the desk or on the armrests.
• Place the keyboard at the correct distance. Iden for the mouse.
• Adjust your screen to the right height so you can look ahead. That's better for the neck.
• Watch the film for further instructions

More articles about back pain:

Advice on choosing the right seat

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