Chiropractic

Changing Positions and Posture Throughout The Day

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Changing positions and posture. Individuals who have to sit at a desk, workstation, or cubicle for most of the day increase their risk of back pain, contributing to other health issues. Β GetAmericaStanding.org reports the average adult sits for ten hours or more a day. Prolonged sitting at home and work without movement, physical activity, exercise can lead to issues like:

  • Pain
  • Irritability
  • Cardiovascular problems
  • Obesity
  • Diabetes

Long periods of inactivity are associated with increased mortality as sedentariness causes the same damage related to smoking and obesity. It can be challenging to find ways to remain active while sitting at work; this is where changing positions and posture, also known as dynamic sitting throughout the day, can help.

Changing Positions and Posture Throughout the Day

Constantly sitting in a chair means the body remains static, causing blood and energy circulation to slow down, stressing the body’s muscles. Changing the body’s positions regularly along with short periods of activity like standing up, walking around while on the phone, and stretching helps to work out the muscles and keep circulation at optimal levels.

The Importance of Changing Positions and Posture

The body was meant to move and requires movement to stay healthy.

Staying in one position for too long can lead to loss of core strength from the abdominal musculature becoming deconditioned. Muscle deconditioning leads to weakness and tightness. The imbalance affects the spinal support system leading to back, hip, and leg pain. Moving around and doing quick mini-workouts can help strengthen the body, increase core strength, improve posture, burn calories and prevent pain and injury.

The Basics

According to a 2018 study, researchers found improvements in cardiometabolic health among individuals that would stand up, sit less, and move more. Ways to adjust the work or home office to make changing positions and posture easier include.

Medical Consultation

These small changes and adjustments can make a big difference when experiencing body pain from too much sedentariness. However, it is crucial to know if other issues are causing the health problem/s. If back or any pain is associated with any of the following, consult a medical professional.

  • Trauma from an accident or injury.
  • Balance issues.
  • Weakness in the legs.
  • Infection.
  • Fever.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Overflow urinary incontinence is when the bladder fills up and empties without feeling the need to urinate.
  • Severe constipation.

Body Composition


How to Read Blood Pressure Measurements

An individual’s blood pressure includes:

Systolic Blood Pressure

  • This is the first or top number listed on a blood pressure reading and is the measurement of the pressure that the blood exerts against the walls of the arteries.
  • A normal systolic reading should be less than 120 mm Hg.

Diastolic Blood Pressure

  • This is the second number that measures the force of the blood against the artery walls when the heart is resting between beats.
  • A normal diastolic reading is less than 80 mm Hg.

Pulse

  • The pulse is the number of beats per minute the heart is beating.
  • A normal adult pulse is between 60 to 100 beats per minute.

When checking blood pressure, a doctor will read out a vital sign in the normal range of 120/80 mmHg or below. Anything above that could be an indication of an underlying health condition.

References

β€œErgonomics for Prolonged Sitting.” The University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA. www.uclahealth.org/spinecenter/ergonomics-prolonged-sitting

β€œWorkplace sitting is associated with self-reported general health and back/neck pain: a cross-sectional analysis in 44,978 employees.” BMC Public Health, London, UK. May 2021. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33957889/

β€œActive Sitting Guide: 6 Reasons To Really Consider It.” The Ergonomics Health Association. (n.d.) ergonomicshealth.com/active-sitting-guide/

β€œCardiometabolic Impact of Changing Sitting, Standing, and Stepping in the Workplace.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Indianapolis, IN. March 2018. oce.ovid.com/article/00005768-201803000-00015/HTML

β€œReducing occupational sitting time and improving worker health: the Take-a-Stand Project, 2011.” Preventing Chronic Disease, Atlanta, GA. 2012.

β€œOffice exercise: Add more activity to your day.” The Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. October 2019. www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/office-exercise/art-20047394

β€œThe Tools: Put an End to Your Sedentary Lifestyle.” Ergotron, St. Paul, MN. (n.d.). www.juststand.org/the-tools/

Post Disclaimer

Professional Scope of Practice *

The information herein on "Changing Positions and Posture Throughout The Day" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

Blog Information & Scope Discussions

Our information scope is limited to Chiropractic, musculoskeletal, acupuncture, physical medicines, wellness, contributing etiological viscerosomatic disturbances within clinical presentations, associated somatovisceral reflex clinical dynamics, subluxation complexes, sensitive health issues, and/or functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions.

We provide and present clinical collaboration with specialists from various disciplines. Each specialist is governed by their professional scope of practice and their jurisdiction of licensure. We use functional health & wellness protocols to treat and support care for the injuries or disorders of the musculoskeletal system.

Our videos, posts, topics, subjects, and insights cover clinical matters, issues, and topics that relate to and directly or indirectly support our clinical scope of practice.*

Our office has reasonably attempted to provide supportive citations and has identified the relevant research studies supporting our posts. We provide copies of supporting research studies available to regulatory boards and the public upon request.

We understand that we cover matters that require an additional explanation of how it may assist in a particular care plan or treatment protocol; therefore, to further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez, DC, or contact us at 915-850-0900.

We are here to help you and your family.

Blessings

Dr. Alex Jimenez DC, MSACP, RN*, CCST, IFMCP*, CIFM*, ATN*

email: coach@elpasofunctionalmedicine.com

Licensed as a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in Texas & New Mexico*
Texas DC License # TX5807, New Mexico DC License # NM-DC2182

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