Sitting is the new smoking

Your body is designed for regular movement, but many Americans spend the bulk of their day sitting still instead and with poor ergonomics & posture. Sitting in front of the TV, driving, desk jobs requiring extended amounts of time at computers and any occupation (such as musician, writer, artist) requiring large amounts of time sitting and using upper body extremities are all contributing factors to developing muscle tension, nerve compression, and other chronic issues.

Prolonged sitting can reduce your lifespan by making all of your organs work harder. This stress on your organs creates increased risk to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and various types of cancer. According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that men and women who sat more than six hours a day had a higher rate of early mortality than their counterparts who limited sitting time to 3 hours a day or less.In addition, inactivity and poor lifestyle increases the risk of obesity, type II diabetes and high blood sugar, which left untreated, creates more subsequent problems.

Poor posture can create pain in your neck and shoulders. One’s posture can also create problems in the back, hip, and leg. Physiological problems resulting from poor ergonomics include compressed nerve in the neck or shoulder that eventually cause tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, and more severely, peripheral neuropathy. In addition, herniated discs in the mid or low back result in sciatica and other leg disorders.

Massage can help get your body back on track. Allowing the body to reinforce healthy and natural movements can be one of the most beneficial aspects of massage therapy. In addition to this, massage improves circulation by loosening the muscles that previously held tension. Massage can loosen the muscles made sore by bad posture/ergonomics, and when paired with other physical exercise and movement can relax and allowing your body to position itself in its natural-and pain-free-posture.

Written by:  Malila Hollow

Works Cited:
Huffpost
The active times
Mayoclinic