“Sitting is bad for your health” say Australasian Chiropractors

Sitting for too long and with bad posture is bad for your health the country’s chiropractors advised today. They point out that increased computer use at work and home means that over half of your day is spent sitting and that our sitting habits can have significant impact on our overall health[1][2][3].

The New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA) is joining with the Chiropractors Association of Australia (CAA) to focus on a Sit Right campaign during May.

Dr Hayden Thomas, chiropractor and spokesperson for the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association explains: `We know that the body will adapt to cater to what you do most often, so as your body adapts to constant sitting it makes you less skilled at basic functions like standing, walking, running and jumping[4].’

But Dr Thomas warns: `Sitting all day can result in muscle stiffness, poor balance and mobility, as well as pain in your lower back, pain in the neck and hip. Research has shown that excessive sitting can be lethal[5]. The aim of this campaign initiated by our colleagues in Australia is to highlight the problems associated with bad posture. Many people don’t realise that when you sit for extended periods in the wrong position this posture can stay with you even when you stand or walk around[6].’

As part of the Sit Right campaign The Chiropractors’ Association of Australia has developed a Sit Right Widget as a simple tool to prompt computer users to take more regular breaks. The default setting is to prompt for a break every hour, although users can change these settings for 20 minute or 40 minute intervals after consulting their local chiropractic healthcare professional.

For further information see

http://whatsyourposture.com.au/sit-right/about-the-sit-right-widget/

or

New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association

www.chiropractic.org.nz.

[1] Medical Billing & Coding. ‘Sitting is Killing You’ Retrieved 1/12/11 from http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.org/sitting-kills/

[2] Healy, G.N. et al. 2007. ‘Objectively Measured Light-Intensity Physical Activity is Independently Associated With 2-h Plasma Glucose’, Diabetes Care, Volume 30, Number 6, June 2007.

[3] Owen, N. et al. 2009. ‘Too much sitting: a novel and important predictor of chronic disease risk?’ Br J Sports Med February 2009 Vol 43 No 2.

[4] Masters, M.,‘Why sitting all day is slowly killing you’, msnbc.com, 26 October 2010. Retrieved 1/12/11 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39523298/ns/health-mens_health/t/why-your-desk-job-slowly-killing-you/#.TtbIybK4qdA

[5] Vlahos, J., ‘Is Sitting a Lethal Activity?’, New York Times, 14 April 2011. Retrieved 2/12/11 from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magazine/mag-17sitting-t.html

[6] Masters, M.,‘Why sitting all day is slowly killing you’, msnbc.com, 26 October 2010. Retrieved 1/12/11 from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39523298/ns/health-mens_health/t/why-your-desk-job-slowly-killing-you/#.TtbIybK4qdA