The Negative Impact Sitting Has on Your Body and How Stretching Helps
You have probably heard somewhere that sitting is the new smoking. The statement sounds excessive but serves to raise our awareness about the impact of this sedentary behavior. It is not as harmless as it seems, and prolonged sitting has consequences at many levels. That includes cardiovascular health, metabolism, and the musculoskeletal system.
In this article, we will briefly review those consequences and how to prevent them.
Is there a problem with sitting?
Everything you think you know about sitting is probably outright wrong. For instance, people believe their muscles relax when they are sitting. They may also link sitting with giving their heart a rest from constant activity. But is it a soothing behavior for your musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems?
Instead of relaxing your muscles, sitting makes them stiff. They remain in the contracted state for a very long period, which favors musculoskeletal problems. A recent study found that sitting for too long and moving too little can actually increase stiffness measures in the back muscles (1).
On the other hand, people with arrhythmia usually have a rapid heartbeat. Sitting is supposed to reduce their heartbeat because they are not doing any physical activity. But another recent study also found that patients are more likely to experience an arrhythmic event after a decline in physical activity (2).
Sitting and overall health
Sitting for long periods counts as sedentary behavior. It is a risk factor for various cardiovascular problems and increases morbidity and mortality. These are some notable physiological effects (3):
● Exercise improves heart function, and these modifications are gone after a long period of sedentarism, as in sitting for long periods.
● It only takes sitting for a few hours, and the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) to the lower limbs decreases by 2%. It only takes a 1% FMD decrease to raise your cardiovascular risk by 13%.
● Instead of recovering their energy, people who sit for a long time have higher performance fatigability. In other words, they get tired faster than active people.
Sitting and its consequences on mobility
Sitting for long periods will also bring down your skeletal muscle function and cause musculoskeletal problems. You might have experienced this effect yourself if you had lower back pain after sitting in a poor posture. This is what we know about sitting and musculoskeletal function (3):
● Higher sitting time is associated with lower muscle strength, lower muscle power, and lower mechanical quality in the muscle tissue. In a nutshell, your muscle tissue suffers on almost every level.
● Adopting a poor posture is common in these individuals. Doing so increases muscle stiffness and worsens lower back pain (1).
● Patients with mobility issues may experience progressive worsening of their condition as their performance fatigability levels increase. They grow tired more easily. Thus, they are more likely to stay sitting or lying for an extended period. Doing so compromises their muscle tissue, further reducing their tolerance to physical activity. The vicious cycle goes on and on, causing severe mobility problems.
We could have prevented all these problems in the first place, and it is not very difficult.
Addressing the problem with accessible alternatives
Nowadays it is a bit difficult to reduce sitting time, primarily if you work in an office. But there are easy solutions and alternatives to the problem:
● There’s a new trend of standing desks you can adopt in your office. Most of them are electric and can be adjusted to alternate between sitting and standing.
● You can program your smartwatch to tell you when you’re sitting too long or create reminders to stand for 5-10 minutes every hour in the office.
● Stretching is an excellent alternative to reduce muscle stiffness when you are sitting. Alternatively, you can try using foam rollers to relax your muscles. They are particularly useful if you have mild lower back pain (4).
● In moderate and severe lower back pain, stretch therapy can reduce the burden of sitting on your musculoskeletal health. You may also need muscle-strengthening procedures to correct the consequences of prolonged sitting. A study published in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation showed that increasing lumbar flexibility and strengthening the core muscles and gluteus maximus improves back pain regardless of how long you’ve suffered from it (5). There are different techniques, and a professional will make personalized recommendations based on a physical exam.
● Physical activity reverses many of the consequences of sitting. However, a period of strenuous physical activity does not make up for a very long period of sitting. So, focus on day-to-day solutions and increase your physical activity level simultaneously.
While you’re at it, try to meet or exceed the minimum physical activity recommendation for adults. The goal is doing aerobic physical activity for 30 minutes five times a week and weight training at least twice a week. Engaging in more exercise is associated with more benefits for your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal health (6).
Is there medical treatment?
We have reviewed several issues triggered by prolonged sitting, including cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal problems. As noted above, you can adopt a few lifestyle modifications to reduce the burden of sedentary behavior on your health. But what about medical treatment?
Prescription drugs and medical procedures are usually reserved for the long-term consequences of prolonged sitting. Instead of treating these health conditions, it would be wiser to adopt a preventative approach.
Nobody wants to experience a cardiovascular event or severe mobility issues. But they are both chronic health conditions. They build up over time and depend on a variety of lifestyle factors. Raising our awareness is the first step to reducing our personal risk, and making changes is essential to maintain your quality of life regardless of your age.
Conclusion
Sitting for prolonged periods is a modern problem our society is experiencing, especially after quarantine. It is associated with cardiovascular disease and causes musculoskeletal and mobility issues. Instead of relaxing the muscles, sitting too much and moving too little causes stiffness and worsens lower back pain. It is associated with a higher risk of arrhythmia episodes and cardiovascular events.
The solution to the problem is not difficult but requires a few lifestyle changes. Alternating between sitting and standing, stretching, and engaging in physical activity is essential to prevent the consequences of prolonged sitting.
You can also ask your stretch therapist about proper stretches, core strengthening rehab, and other solutions to control lower back pain and reduce muscle stiffness. Hopefully, you won’t need medical treatment in the future because it mainly addresses the complications and long-term effects of a habit you can start changing today.
References:
Kett, A. R., Milani, T. L., & Sichting, F. (2021). Sitting for Too Long, Moving Too Little: Regular Muscle Contractions Can Reduce Muscle Stiffness During Prolonged Periods of Chair-Sitting. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 3.
Acharya, U. R., Kannathal, N., Hua, L. M., & Yi, L. M. (2005). Study of heart rate variability signals at sitting and lying postures. Journal of bodywork and Movement Therapies, 9(2), 134-141.
Hwang, C. L., Chen, S. H., Chou, C. H., Grigoriadis, G., Liao, T. C., Fancher, I. S., ... & Phillips, S. A. (2021). The physiological benefits of sitting less and moving more: opportunities for future research. Progress in cardiovascular diseases.
Nakamura, M., Onuma, R., Kiyono, R., Yasaka, K., Sato, S., Yahata, K., ... & Konrad, A. (2021). The acute and prolonged effects of different durations of foam rolling on range of motion, muscle stiffness, and muscle strength. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 20(1), 62.
Kumar, T., Kumar, S., Nezamuddin, M., & Sharma, V. P. (2015). Efficacy of core muscle strengthening exercise in chronic low back pain patients. Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, 28(4), 699-707.
Nelson, M. E., Rejeski, W. J., Blair, S. N., Duncan, P. W., Judge, J. O., King, A. C., ... & Castaneda-Sceppa, C. (2007). Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Circulation, 116(9), 1094.
