Most of you have probably heard that sitting at a desk all day is really bad for posture. With the recent introduction of standing desks, society is starting to catch up with the data and is looking for solutions to this issue. Unfortunately implementing standing desks isn’t addressing the real issue here, so we are still seeing people complain of low back pain, inactive glutes, and a myriad of other troubles. So what really is the problem here and how can we fix it? Well we want to propose to you a potential solution for your posture problems, and help you avoid things like chronic back pain and “sleepy glutes”.
Sleepy Glutes
When we are sitting all day long, our glutes are lengthened. Essentially what desk jobs do is keep the glutes in a static stretch for 8 hours. When the muscles are lengthened like this for an extended period of time, the contractile elements of the muscles become weakened. The nervous system is not sending contraction messages the glutes, and therefore it focuses its energy on other muscles that are being contracted more frequently – like the hip flexors. This is another common symptom of desk work is that our hip flexors – long muscles that extend from our thigh bone to the back bones – are incredibly tight and over active. The flexion may be passive, but it is similar to holding a wall sit or a plank for 8 hours. Imagine how strong your core would be if the brain got really good at holding a plank! What this muscle imbalance does is pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt.
Welcome to the Chronic Low Back Pain Club
When our pelvis is pulled into the anterior pelvic tilt, it pinches the low back. You may have heard form one of your Free Form trainers that there is always one side stronger than the other. These bilateral imbalances are very common, but this causes even more trouble in the case of chronic low back pain. As the pelvis tilts forward, one hip flexor will be stronger than the next. So not only do we have an anterior tilt, but one half of the pelvis (the pelvis is made of 2 bones stuck together by cartilage) is being tugged on more than the other. This pulling shifts the sacrum of the spine out of place in the pelvis, and so we get bones rubbing together. So now not only do we have pinched vertebrae, but we also have bones rubbing together that should only ever glide along each other through the natural movements of the body.
So now what?
Okay so now you have a basic understanding of how sitting all day long can cause low back pain. So what about the standing desks? Well although standing desks do get us out of the 8- hour glute stretch – who can really say they hold perfect posture for the whole work day? I am sure some of you with standing desks have noticed that as the day goes on, you find yourself leaning on your desk. The standing desk is certainly an improvement because you have room to move while working, but it can also exacerbate some of the postural issues that you already have. So what can you do?
Drop it like a Squat
There are a number of great exercises to lengthen the hip flexors, get the glutes engaged and stretch out the low back. At the bottom of this blog post you can find a few exercises and further information about strengthening the glutes, lengthening the hip flexors, and improving overall posture. For now though, we present the case for a regular squat break at work. Getting up every 1 to 2 hours and doing 10-15 bodyweight squats is a great way to keep your glutes alert, lubricate the joints in the hip, knees, ankles, and low back. It also promotes venous return of blood that may have begun to pool in the feet and ankles after being seated for so long. A proper squat, meaning every element is given the attention it deserves, also recruits the core musculature and reminds the brain that muscles like your glutes, your quads, and your calves need some attention too.
Going to work is an imperative of life, but bad posture and chronic pain doesn’t have to be. Get up and take a squat break and take notice of how it changes the way you feel at work.
Videos
Yoga for Hips and Low Back Release with Yoga with Adriene
How to Breathe by Belisa Vranich at TEDx Manhattan (for improving core stability, and lowering stress).
