Do you sit all day for work? You’re not alone. The majority of jobs today require a significant amount of time to be spent on computers or electronic devices. Unfortunately, this often means we are sitting for most of the work day.
Sitting for extended periods of time has been linked to a variety of health issues. These range from obesity, metabolic syndrome, sciatic nerve problems, poor posture, high blood pressure and blood sugar, excessive body fat, and high cholesterol levels. Sitting can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Extended sitting is not only a problem in the workplace, but it can also be a problem at home. Researchers have found that spending a few hours a week engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity does not appear to significantly offset the risks involved with extended sitting.
The only viable solutions would be to sit less and move more. The impact of movement, even light movement, can be exponential. It not only helps to burn more calories, which will lead to weight loss and increased energy levels, but standing and light activity have been known to trigger the breakdown of fats and sugars within the body, helping to boost your metabolism and reduce your chances for health risks. These metabolic processes come to a stand-still when sitting occurs, so it is very important to involve more movement into your daily life.
Another wonderful tool you can use to combat the effects of sitting is massage therapy. Massage is a complementary tool for any condition, but it greatly helps reverse some of the risks involved with sitting such as:
Postural Imbalances: When we are seated all day, especially when typing at a keyboard, our bodies tend to slouch into different positions, creating tightness in the back, shoulders, and neck from holding the arms in fixed positions. Massage targets the areas filled with muscle tension, relieving knots and tightness and preventing further imbalances and damage.
Back Pain: When we sit in ergonomically unfriendly positions, it can often result in back pain. This can lead to numbness from poor posture affecting the nerves, as well as extended force on the lower back from the effects of gravity pulling the torso into your pelvis. This culminates to lower back pain as well as sciatic nerve damage. Massage increases blood flow into the area, reducing tension and allowing the muscles to release, significantly reducing pain and tightness and often brings feeling back into the affected area.
High Blood Pressure: Lack of blood flow involved with extended sitting results in high blood pressure. Massage has the ability to reduce diastolic blood pressure, as well as treating the underlying causes of blood pressure: tense muscles. It also promotes relaxation and relief from anxiety, which contribute to high blood pressure.
Depression: Studies have correlated extended sitting with increased chances for depression and anxiety. Massage therapy has been known to be an extremely successful resource for reducing anxiety, depression, and stress. The calming effect of massage therapy also increases blood flow, improving mental state and perceived quality of life.
Sitting can be detrimental to your health. Our suggestion is to get a standing desk, move more, and book your next appointment with Pure Knead Massage! Not only will our trained professionals relieve that tight knot in your shoulders, but we’ll help you combat some of the effects of our day-to-day workplace habits. Massage has the ability to improve your quality of life, address and eliminate your underlying symptoms, and safely relieve ailments caused by excessive sitting.
