Does Your Back Hurt from Too Much Sitting? Here are 5 Proven Ways to Reduce Back Pain

We spend almost 8 hours sitting at a desk at work. It doesn’t help that we all have a tendency to slouch in front of a computer, cradle a phone, or never take movement breaks. Once we’re out of the office, we sit while driving in hour-long traffic. Then we promptly plop ourselves in front of the tv to do more sitting.

Too much sitting can cause back pain, but itcan be prevented. Back pains start from poor posture and can be compounded bypoor ergonomics. It usually starts in the neck and moves downward through ourback until it reaches our lower back. Here are some tips to prevent back paincaused by too much sitting:

Keepyour body aligned while sitting and even while standing.

While sitting, make sure you sit up straight.Imagine a line moving straight down the middle bisecting your body. Your leftand right side should be perfectly balanced. Align your ears, shoulders, andhips. Watch out for unbalanced postures such as leg crossing, slouching,hunching forward, tilting your head (or cradling your phone), leaning to oneside, etc. While standing, make sure that you distribute your weight evenly onyour feet. Stand with your feet slightly apart and balanced.

Takemovement breaks

We sit too much at a desk, hunched over ourcomputers that we forget to take movement breaks. So get up and move! Go to thecopy room to make copies. Walk over to the coffee machine to grab a cup. Take astroll around the block on your lunch break. Get up from your desk every45minutes and stretch, stand, or walk.

UseErgonomic props

Ergonomic items (meaning items that relate toor are designed for efficiency and comfort in the working environment) can takethe load off your spine and prevent bad back pains. When you can find them, usethem. If you don’t have an ergonomic chair at the office, ask for one, investin one or buy a portable lumbar back support. Buy a footrest. Get bags orpurses designed to distribute weight and minimize back strain. Position yourcomputer screen properly so you don’t have to hunch over it and strain yourneck. Use monitor risers so that your eyes rest on the screen in a normalposition.

Exerciseto promote good posture

Some exercises that promote good posture are:walking, swimming, and cycling. These exercises naturally demand that you havethe correct posture and form in order to execute the exercises properly. Theseexercises are also gentle on the knees and great for beginners or those who arestarting a new exercise regime coming from zero activity or a sedentarylifestyle.

Tell us your tips to reduce back pains. Share them with us in the comments. Stay humble and hustle hard.

Written by Jaie O. TheHelp