How to Avoid the Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle While Working From Home

The question I often get asked in the clinic is, what is the one thing you need to change to prevent chronic pain?

I believe all aspects of our lifestyles contribute to health, but one of the most important factors is how you position your body during the day.

If you’re working from home, you're likely sitting at your desk for long periods of time, and this isn't great for your health.

Sitting increases the load on your lower back by gradually stretching the posterior fibres of the discs, which can result in injury. Even more dramatically, is the connection between sitting and early death.

Sitting is associated with chronic conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. A study of Australians using sensory monitoring showed the group that moved around more frequently during the week had lower levels of blood sugar and cholesterol.

You might think "I exercise, so I'm okay", but if your lifestyle is mainly sedentary, e.g. sitting in front of a computer all day, you're still at risk.

How to reduce the health risks of your office lifestyle?

We're not plants, we were designed to move. A moving posture is the best posture! But I know you can't exactly just quit your job. So here are some tips to reduce your sitting time at home.

Think about getting a standing desk

It's easier to have better spinal posture while standing. Good posture is known to reduce back pain by decreasing the pressure on your spine and allows you to breathe easier, improving your energy and mood. But don't stand for too long. Moving from a seated to a standing work posture every 30 minutes leads to a significant reduction in fatigue levels and lower back discomfort. It's also known to improve productivity.

Sit, slide and lean

You can still improve your posture while you're sitting. Sit on the edge of the chair, slide your bum to the corner, and lean back until you are seated against the back support. By sitting this way, your lumbar spine is more likely to be in an extended position (instead of flexed), reducing the chance of injury.

Here are some more tips for sitting healthily:

• Roll your shoulders up, back and down

• Keep your head neutral (try not to drop the chin)

• Get lumbar support for your lower back

• Adjust your screen to eye level

• Check your hips and knees are at 90 degrees

• Keep your feet flat on the floor or resting on a footrest

Get up and move around

Whether you stand or sit while working, I recommend getting up and moving every 20 minutes (at least). Walking activates the muscles that were relaxed while sitting and enables the ones that were relaxed to activate. You also burn calories and increase your metabolic rate, helping to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

As a researcher in the European Heart Journal aptly said, "stand up, sit less, move more." That's it in a nutshell!