Have you heard of office syndrome? From the name itself, it’s easy to assume that it most likely affects office workers, and you’re not exactly wrong. This condition, however, is not a specific medical diagnosis that results from a specific event or habit. Rather, it’s a collection of symptoms and ailments brought on by extensive sedentary work. One of its risk factors is static posture or prolonged sitting, which has been considered the new smoking. So, whether you work in an office or not, if your job requires you to sit for most of your workday with little to no movement, you might need office syndrome treatment.
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What Happens To Your Body If You Sit Too Long, Too Much?
Weakened Bum Muscles
Sitting for long periods can cause your large leg and gluteal muscles to weaken or waste away. Because they’re necessary for walking and keeping you stable and balanced, you’re likely to trip and fall as they grow weaker. If you exert any effort or do exercise, you could injure yourself and experience strain in different parts of your body.
Weight Gain
Your digestive system works better with increased muscle movement. It can digest fats and sugars more efficiently, which underlines the importance of physical activity. Without movement or physical activity, those sugars and fats will be retained as body fat. But what if you’re already doing a bit of aerobics? If the amount of exercise you do is less than the time you sit, you’re still at risk of certain health conditions, such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome. In addition to eating a diet according to the 2:1:1 principle, exercising can also help.
Hip & Back Problems
Your hip flexor muscles will become strained, tight, or shorter if you sit too long, leading to tightness and pain in the joints in your hip area. Depending on the severity of the strain, you might experience cramping and sharp pain, spasms, and difficulty getting out of a chair. If you sit with poor posture, your back will also be affected, resulting in spine problems such as premature degeneration.
Mental Health Problems
While there are no conclusive studies that link mental health to prolonged sitting, there is evidence that people who sit more have a higher risk of having anxiety and depression. This may have something to do with the lack of physical activity and fitness that causes the body to release dopamine and endorphins, neurotransmitters that can help improve mood and manage stress and anxiety.
Heart Disease
Recent studies show that being sedentary increases the risk of not just one but all four types of heart disease—heart failure, heart attacks, atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular death. If your sedentary time exceeds 10.6 hours, your risk of heart problems increases by up to 60%. The data supports the benefits of moving more and sitting less, which is why integrating movement into daily life is important.
Being sedentary and sitting for extended periods is dangerous to your health, resulting in weakened bum muscles, weight gain, hip and back problems, mental health problems, and heart disease. If you’re already at risk of office syndrome due to repetitive poor posture and poor office ergonomics, moving more will help. Otherwise, seek office syndrome physiotherapy from Bangkok Physiotherapy Center, then switch to a more active lifestyle today!
