Are you a desk-based worker who spends many hours a day sitting at your desk? If so, on Thursday 28 April you can take part in the On Your Feet Britain national activity awareness day. The day encourages desk-based workers across Britain to participate in a variety of fun and simple activities to encourage a change of habits to convert ‘sitting time’ to ‘standing time’.
At our busy central London chiropractic clinic, MotionBack, our chiropractors treat many desk-based workers every day. The most common conditions we treat are back pain and neck pain which often is a result of the hours that our patients spend sitting at their desks, especially with poor posture.
Not only can hours spent sitting result in back and neck issues, but excessive sitting can also lead to an increased risk of developing many serious health issues. International research on Sedentary Behaviour provides a growing body of evidence that connects a multitude of serious health risks to “prolonged” and “excessive” sitting. The top 10 health risks, which include Back/Neck Pain are:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Cancer
- Diabetes (Type 2)
- Weight Gain
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Mental Health
- Back/Neck Pain
- Muscle Degeneration
- Osteoporosis
- Mortality
You can click here to read more about the research results
How Much Time Do You Spend Sitting Every Day?
According to research on the Get Britain Standing website, on average, a British person spends 8.9 hours a day sitting. Now that’s a lot of sitting!
You can use a calculator on the website to estimate the time you spend sitting daily. The calculator allows you to input estimates for the time you spend sitting when eating, commuting, working (both at the office or home) and relaxing (watching TV, online gaming etc.).
Go to the Get Britain Standing website and try out the calculator. The results may surprise you!
Seven Simple Changes To Sit Less At Work
As well as better health, research shows that moving more during the day also leads to many more wellbeing and performance benefits including:
- improved concentration
- improved motivation
Reducing the time you spending sitting at work maybe be easier than you think by introducing the following seven simple changes to your daily work habits.
- Take a break from sitting every 30 minutes and stand
- Stand when taking phone calls or Zoom calls
- Instead of phoning, emailing or texting a work colleague walk to their desk
- Organise standing or walking meetings
- Use the stairs more
- Stand during presentations
- Eat your lunch away from your desk
Why not get started now to sit less and stand more during your working day.
Visiting MotionBack Chiropractic Clinic in London
If you are suffering back pain, neck pain or postural issues our team of experienced London chiropractors are here to help you.
Feedback from just a few of the patients we have helped:
“Would highly recommend visiting MotionBack to anyone experiencing back pain or headaches related to bad posture, or if they spend most of their day sitting in front of a laptop. Grateful to Marco for his help, he was happy to explain in detail the issue and his intervention and gave me plenty of tips for maintenance. A life saver!” Viviana S (Google 5-Star Review)
“Working with Andy over the last couple of weeks has transformed my experience of lower back pain, and greatly improved bodily alignment and posture. I’d recommend him to anyone looking for an experienced, knowledgeable and highly skilled chiropractor.” Philip R (Google 5-Star Review)
“Have been going to see Andy regularly for a few years due to my bad posture from sitting/computer work. Walk out of there feeling like a new person every single time! He is really thoughtful about treatment and has been helping me ensure I keep up with exercises and posture at home. Can’t recommend enough!” Iirina K (Google 5-Star Review)
“I initially saw Andy in 2018 for my recurring neck and back pain. I highly recommend MotionBack to my colleagues and friends and they are equally impressed and happy with the results they’ve experienced. Andy corrected my bad posture and painful back problems very quickly and couldn’t be a safer pair of hands if you’re nervous about seeing a chiropractor. Quite simply, the best!” Hal S (Google 5-Star Review)
“I’ve been here twice. Andy worked his magic on my back and I came out feeling great. These 2 sessions were helpful reducing my back pain but not a full cure, the onus is on me to improve my posture as a more permanent solution. Andy gave some tips on how to do this, and on how to strengthen my back, which I plan to follow. Also enjoyed speaking to Andy, he’s a nice guy.” Tommy N (Google 5-Star Review)
To book an appointment with one of our chiropractic team, call our clinic on 02027 112 5408 or you can book online on our website here.