Prolonged sitting is harmful for your spine and weight-loss
Although sitting is the primary position for most Americans, it is also the worst position for your lower back and health. Most of us have jobs that require several hours per day seated in front of a desk, computer, telephone, not to mention sitting in the car, sitting on the couch and the list continues.
Sitting causes more pressure on the discs of the lower back as most of the weight bearing is located in the lumbar spine. As time progresses, these discs will begin to flatten and dehydrate as motion of the spine is what allows for nutrition to the discs. The risk for disc injuries increase along with speeding the process of degeneration of the spine.
The other downfall to prolonged sitting is that the jornal Diabetes and presented at the Second International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health was that sitting for long periods will turn off the fat burning enzyme located in the kidneys. So if you have been exercising and eating right, and still finding the scale not budging perhaps the the enzyme that burns fat is being turned off by prolonged sitting!
If you have a lifestyle that requires a large quantity of sitting, there are solutions! Here are a few tips to keeping your lower back healthy and your fat burning enzyme turned on:
- Change your workstation to be both a sit and stand work area. Maybe add a timer on your computer’s outlook reminder to pop up every 30 minutes to remind you to get up, stretch and stand for the next 15 minutes while you work or use the telephone.
- Change your chair to a large Swiss ball! The large Swiss ball requires more stability of your abdominal muscles to keep you upright and is safer on your lower back.
- Plan to exercise during your breaks. Find a co-worker and eat your lunch while going for a stroll which will also aid in keeping your body healthy and your enzymes for fat burning working. It also helps with burring calories too!
- Have a lumbar support in your car if you spend a great deal of time driving. Getting a back rest that causes the lumbar curve to be more pronounced can aid in keeping the lower back discs protected and back stiffness reduced.
- Keep your abdominal muscles contracted! Every time you contract your abs by sucking in your stomach and breathing works the muscles, protects the lumbar spine and burns calories. This easy maneuver can be done sitting, standing, laying down or in any position or motion!
If you are experiencing problems with weight gain and lower back problems, have your spine checked for problems as it can hinder further exercise and the problem can become chronic and even permanent.
For more information on this topic call us at (925)960-1960.
