Let’s Talk About Sitting Too Much

This isn’t one of those posts that’s going to make you feel bad about sitting. I mean, we’re built to sit, stand, and lay down, and it’s okay to do all those things. The problem is that we all sit too much, thanks to less physical jobs, computer work, and commuting. If modern life has us sitting for so many hours, we need ways to counteract the resulting tight muscles, pain, and poor posture. So, let’s talk about sitting, what happens when we do too much, and how to fix those achy backs and tight hips. 

What Sitting Too Much Does to Your Body

When we sit for long periods of time, we tend to have a forward-rounded posture. The shoulders roll in, the head and neck jut forward, and there may even be rounding of the lower back. This means that the muscles in the front of the body are in a shortened state for hours on end, while the muscles on the backside of us are overstretched and pulled on by the shorter front muscles. 

Try this chest opening routine for relief

What does this feel like? It feels like an achy back! The upper back and neck are sore and tight. Our low backs hurt. The front of our hips are tight from sitting idle for hours, and even though we may be sitting on our butts, the muscles there aren’t getting any stronger. Sitting too much hurts because our front and back muscles are unbalanced. Let’s fix that. 

Relieve and Prevent The Effects of Sitting

Since we can’t avoid sitting, we need to find ways to relieve and prevent the pain that comes with it. 

Quick Fixes

Here are some ways to feel better when you’re sitting for long periods of time, like at work or while traveling: 

• Get up every hour and go for a one-minute walk. Most smartwatches have a setting that reminds you to move. 
• Stretch in your chair. Lean back and make your body long from the tip of your toes to your fingertips up over your head. Stretch your legs out and alternate flexing/pointing your toes. Do some gentle twists in your chair, and lean side to side with your arms up. Try shoulder rolls or tipping your head side to side. It should feel good, not hurt!
• On your lunch break, do a mini-workout. Go for a walk, do some mobility movements, or even try some back, glute, and core exercises. 
• I know someone who would take “public stretching” breaks at work when she felt tight. She’d do lunges across the office or stretch while talking with a coworker. Often they’d join in! 

These quick tips will help you feel better when you have to sit for a long time, but expanding on them outside the workday will help you feel (and sit) better every day. 

Long Term Solutions 

Correcting the imbalances in your muscles and strengthening your core will help you avoid sitting pain in the first place. Pilates is ideal for both and it will help you to notice the imbalances in your own body. Pilates also includes a lot of work to mobilize the spine, strengthen the hip flexors, and increase hip mobility. 

Read More: Pilates is More than Just Core

Lifting weights is amazing for building strength when it’s part of a well-balanced workout with a focus on good form and a full range of motion. Always include a warm-up that gives attention to all of your joints, rather than using cardio to get your heart rate up, and push yourself to get stronger. 

When you’re building strength and mobility, keep in mind that the easier exercises that you love the most are probably working the parts of your body that are the strongest. Those ones you hate because they’re hard? Well, those are the ones you probably need to do more of. I’ve always been weaker in my upper back and glutes. I’m awesome at doing a teaser in Pilates because those muscles aren’t working as hard. On the other hand, I really struggle with exercises like swimming, and the front stroke in Pilates, and Bulgarian split squats make me feel ill. Yet when I force myself do those exercises, my body gets stronger – and my body actually feels better in the long run.  

Sit Better

If you start incorporating the tips above, soon you’ll find that you’re sitting better. When you have a strong back and core, you’re able to sit taller and sustain that tall posture for longer. Sitting taller will also help you breathe better, which in turn helps with focus and reducing stress. It makes sense that having a strong core is important for sports performance, like running a marathon. The stronger you are, the longer you can maintain a tall posture while running and make more space for air to enter the lungs to keep you going. If you think about it, a desk job is kind of like doing a sitting marathon. 

We Can’t Avoid Sitting

Sitting really can’t be avoided, and if it can be, other things will probably hurt, too. When I worked as a bank teller while in college, high heels were encouraged and we weren’t allowed to sit. My legs ached all the time. These days, I spend more time than you know at my desk working on blog posts, newsletters, updating class schedules, studying, replying to emails, etc. But because I want to feel good in my body while sitting or doing all the other things I love, I strive to find balance in it all. 

I feel like I’m the queen of encouraging balance in the things we do, but it works! To keep aches and pains at bay, you need to get strong and stay strong. Move your body throughout the day and add variety. And when it comes to sitting, try to balance it with time spent standing. 
If you want an easy way to get both your strength and Pilates workouts from home, Sweat with Melissa is perfect for you. Each month you get three new Pilates classes and three new strength workouts, plus the full library of past classes and space to chat with me and ask your fitness questions. You can choose to Sweat with Melissa month-to-month, or save by subscribing for the year.