We have been taught that eating sugar will cause tooth decay. The health of your teeth will improve when you eat less sugar. On the other hand, most of us are going to eat sugar so in order to keep our teeth healthy we need to perform daily dental hygiene, brushing and flossing.
To your spine, sitting is more detrimental to the health of your spine than sugar is to your teeth. When you sit for prolonged periods you are causing lack of motion, poor posture, inflammation, muscle spasms, muscle adhesions and degeneration. Yet, we live in a society that seems to almost "require" sitting for long periods of time. If this seems familiar to you, there are 2 things you can do to help overcome the negative effects of sitting:
- Sit less
- Move more
Performing spinal hygiene exercises daily is one of the best ways to counteract the negative effects of sitting. There are examples of this when you log in to your account on the Wellness and Prevention website and at www.StraightChiro.com/spinal-hygiene. In addition, your chiropractor can give you spinal hygiene exercises that will be the most beneficial for you based on the results of your SHA (Spinal Health Assessment).
Do you have to sit at a computer? If possible, convert to a standing work station. You could also set a timer to remind you to get up and perform spinal hygiene exercises at least once an hour.
Do you sit in front of a TV in the evening? Consider going on a walk instead.
Do you earn pointless points on useless video games or on your smart phone. Engage in positive relationship building with people you love instead.
If it is currently difficult or painful for you to perform functional movements like squats, push ups, planks or a mile walk then set some goals to improve in these areas.
Prolonged sitting will lead to pain and decay of your spine. Counteracting the negative effects of sitting by sitting less and moving more will lead to less pain, inflammation and degeneration.
What are you going to start doing differently to counteract the number of hours you need to sit?
About the Author
Dr. Brad Sandler
Synergy Spine and Nerve Center · Rio Rancho, NM
Dr. Brad and the Synergy team are committed to gentle, principled chiropractic care that supports your body's natural ability to heal. Have a question about an article? Bring it up at your next visit, we love the conversation.