New data, released by the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia to mark Spinal Health Week (May 21 – 27), shows Australia is a nation of ‘sitters’ and it’s taking a major toll on our health.

 

Australian office workers face a back pain epidemic and risk developing chronic diseases by sitting for almost 16 hours a day with more than half never taking conscious breaks to stand and move around, according to new research from the Chiropractors’ Association of Australia.

 

The research found that not only is a dangerous amount of time spent sitting, but nearly 70 per cent of office workers are sitting incorrectly in a slumped or collapsed position and 60 per cent say they already experience regular or occasional lower back pain.

 

Women  aged 18-34 years have the worst posture and are most at risk of spinal damage.

 

Alarmingly, office workers have only 73 minutes left in a day to stand or be active, after eliminating time spent sitting and sleeping.

 

According to the statistics, office workers are spending longer in front of a computer (almost nine hours a day) than sleeping (approximately seven hours a day), sit for almost one and half hours while commuting to and from work, and watch TV for more than two hours.

 

They are also sitting for up to three hours at a time without getting up.

 

CAA spokesperson Dr Billy Chow said the results were extremely worrying and were reinforced by an independent Australian study in 20111 which found that people who sit down for more than ten hours a day and don’t exercise had almost double the risk of dying sooner than those with active lifestyles.

 

“It’s critical we get off our backsides and move more because sitting for too long and in the wrong position can have a detrimental effect on our spine and on our overall health.

 

“If we’re spending a lot of time sitting down with the same posture, it will cause spinal degeneration and joint inflammation that sends messages to the brain to tell it the body is stressed,” he said.

 

Dr Chow said chiropractors are seeing a much larger number of office workers with sitting related injuries.

 

“Sitting is having a major impact on the way we function and our stress levels and is causing weight gain and lower energy levels.

 

“The problem we face in modern society and with modern technology is that we’re going from a sedentary workplace to a sedentary home so it’s essential we sit less and be more active.

 

“Getting up to walk around or stretch regularly just for a minute or two is a great way of releasing some stress. This resets your posture and gives your body a break,” Dr Chow said.

 

With 75 per cent of Australian workers having no clear workplace guidelines regarding sitting correctly and taking breaks from desks or computers, Dr Chow said employers need to start prioritising the health of their workers.

 

“If workplaces address what is a very serious situation, it will increase the health and wellbeing of their employees which means they’ll be happier and more productive,” he said.

 

To alleviate health problems associated with sitting incorrectly or for extended amounts of time, Dr Chow recommends taking regular breaks at least every hour and referring to the CAA’s Sit Right checklist.

 

To encourage Australians to take regular breaks from sitting, the CAA has launched a Sit Right desktop widget that is programmed to pop up on computer screens regularly to provide different break suggestions, as well as a range of stretching exercises people can do at their desks.

 

The widget and the Sit Right checklist can be downloaded at www.SitRight.com.au