(Credit: Adobe Stock)

With office work and sedentary living on the rise, a question is knocking at many of our doors, “How much sitting is bad for you?” Can we get away with 8 hours of sitting at work? How about another hour of driving on top of that? And another 2-3 hours of television when we get home? Let’s explore this epidemic in depth and see what the costs really are. 

Sitting: The New Normal

It didn’t use to be this way. Excessive sitting is a relatively new phenomenon (evolutionarily speaking, that is). Our bodies were made to move; our brains are literally built through movement. It is the prelude to our other forms of expression—before we can speak, it allows us to communicate our needs to the world. 

Work used to be so much more physical. Before the advent of technology like the cell phone and computer, among countless other conveniences that replace labour, our physicality was very much in demand by the outside world and society in general. Think of all the everyday tasks, from laundry to transportation, made easier by modern day innovations. 

The landscape that many of us find ourselves in today is far more cerebral than it has been in the past. Our work is done by staring at a computer, clacking away on a keyboard, and maneuvering a mouse ever so delicately across a monitor. The occasional face-to-face interaction might occur, but even this has been largely replaced with video and phone calls in desks far away.

Our body is an energy conservation machine. It could be considered the most versatile and efficient thing that exists. It will not waste resources on things that aren’t being used. And if those things are our muscles, cardiorespiratory capabilities, and cognitive function, they are fair game to atrophy and disappear. The body is not discriminatory in this way.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)

How Much Sitting Is Bad for You? 

So, can we get away with spending our days on our backsides? The answer (like many answers) is, it depends. Days spent being sedentary, with no interjection of physical activity, is a death sentence slowly building its case. And that’s no exaggeration—risks of diabetes, obesity, and all-cause mortality (death by any cause) all increase with chronic, excessive sitting.

If we exercise, however, the picture becomes a lot less grim. Studies show that even a small bout of brisk walking, or similar low-intensity activity, can help offset the risks associated with a full day of sitting. 15-30 minutes a day seems to be the barrier if we want to lengthen our lifespans, improve cognitive function, and maintain the lifestyles we now depend on for income.

But does a brisk walk address all of the problems that sitting causes? What about that ache we feel in our hips? Our hunchback of Notre-Dame spines? Our forward head posture? Our sciatica? The list goes on. We need a more targeted and personalized approach. Something that is easy-to-follow, and designed with our needs in mind…

Reverse the Effects of Sitting | ReverseSit

ReverseSit is an all-in-one online platform and mobile app designed to help you reverse the effects of sitting. Here’s how:

It’s broken into 3 phases…

Phase 1: Reset

The first phase of programming is designed to alleviate immediate discomfort and tightness that develops as a result of too much sitting. These routines are 10-15 minutes in length, can be done everyday, and are corrective/rehabilitative in their nature. Gentle workouts that focus on lengthening and mobilizing the body.

Phase 2: Correct

Phase 2 aims to strengthen the body, and correct all of the weaknesses that have occurred because of office work or just sedentary living in general. These weaknesses are at the root of many postural problems and several other aches/pains throughout the body that plague people before, during, and after working hours.

Phase 3: Maintain

The final phase of ReverseSit programming is ongoing, and designed to build off of the changes you made in the previous 2 phases. Your newfound strength and mobility is capitalized on through intelligently designed routines that you can do anytime, anywhere and with minimal equipment. 

Try It Out for Yourself

Start making a positive difference in your health, for a fraction of the cost of even one physiotherapy, massage, or acupuncture appointment. Begin with a 7-day free trial to get a taste of what we offer—you can sign up for yours by clicking here!

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist