Bengaluru: Many of us find ourselves sitting for the majority of our waking hours, whether it be at work, during meals, or while relaxing at home. While chairs have become our constant companions, medical professionals have sounded the alarm on the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting, likening it to the hazards of smoking in today’s sedentary world.
In fact, sitting for longer hours is one of the major challenges faced in the tech-capital, which has a sizeable chunk of younger workforce that still doesn’t pay attention to posture or play. In fact, the issue came to the fore at a recent women’s wellness summit organised by Happiest Health.
Uttara Kumar, 21, a techie from Kormanagala, told TOI that most of her colleagues in her office have lower back pain because of the nature of their work. “It is very difficult to work when pain is persistent. We sit at our desk for a minimum of five hours, and once the work gets hectic, it is difficult to get up to even pee.”
Dr Bharati Jajoo, ergonomics expert and chief of Body Dynamics in Bengaluru, said, “It is necessary for us to look after our spine and back. Sitting is now the new smoking because it has the same level of adversity linked to your health. When we sit for a longer period of time, we age faster. There is twice the amount of pressure on our spines, back and shoulder as ever, which results in their wearout. People don’t realise they can avoid all of this by just taking small breaks to stretch their limbs. They can do it right in the place where they work, it takes zero effort.”
Not just techies, the problem of prolonged sitting haunts other professionals too. Nishka Venkatesh, 29, a teacher from Basaveshwara Nagar, said: “We sit for almost every period of class we teach, and that slowly leads to increased pain in the lower back. We get so immersed in work, we don’t even correct our postures while sitting. Currently, life is moving at such a fast pace that sometimes, we forget to take a minute to stop and breathe.”
Dr Kumardev Arvind Rajamanya, head of the department and lead consultant of orthopaedics, Aster Whitefield Hospital, said: “The way you sit and how long you sit has an impact on your shoulder, neck and spine. It’s no longer an adult’s issue, we even see children in our hospital complaining about neck and lower back pain. Nowadays, kids also have to use electronic gadgets for various uses, and that has led to bad posture in them. These are what we call lifestyle diseases, which we can take control of. It is very simple: For every 10 minutes, take a break of 30 seconds, stretch and move your limbs, that will take the load off your shoulder neck and back.”
In fact, sitting for longer hours is one of the major challenges faced in the tech-capital, which has a sizeable chunk of younger workforce that still doesn’t pay attention to posture or play. In fact, the issue came to the fore at a recent women’s wellness summit organised by Happiest Health.
Uttara Kumar, 21, a techie from Kormanagala, told TOI that most of her colleagues in her office have lower back pain because of the nature of their work. “It is very difficult to work when pain is persistent. We sit at our desk for a minimum of five hours, and once the work gets hectic, it is difficult to get up to even pee.”
Dr Bharati Jajoo, ergonomics expert and chief of Body Dynamics in Bengaluru, said, “It is necessary for us to look after our spine and back. Sitting is now the new smoking because it has the same level of adversity linked to your health. When we sit for a longer period of time, we age faster. There is twice the amount of pressure on our spines, back and shoulder as ever, which results in their wearout. People don’t realise they can avoid all of this by just taking small breaks to stretch their limbs. They can do it right in the place where they work, it takes zero effort.”
Not just techies, the problem of prolonged sitting haunts other professionals too. Nishka Venkatesh, 29, a teacher from Basaveshwara Nagar, said: “We sit for almost every period of class we teach, and that slowly leads to increased pain in the lower back. We get so immersed in work, we don’t even correct our postures while sitting. Currently, life is moving at such a fast pace that sometimes, we forget to take a minute to stop and breathe.”
Dr Kumardev Arvind Rajamanya, head of the department and lead consultant of orthopaedics, Aster Whitefield Hospital, said: “The way you sit and how long you sit has an impact on your shoulder, neck and spine. It’s no longer an adult’s issue, we even see children in our hospital complaining about neck and lower back pain. Nowadays, kids also have to use electronic gadgets for various uses, and that has led to bad posture in them. These are what we call lifestyle diseases, which we can take control of. It is very simple: For every 10 minutes, take a break of 30 seconds, stretch and move your limbs, that will take the load off your shoulder neck and back.”
Dr. Debi Johnson is a medical expert and health journalist dedicated to promoting well-being. With a background in medicine, she offers evidence-based insights into health trends and wellness practices. Beyond her reporting, Dr. Debi enjoys hiking, yoga, and empowering others to lead healthier lives.
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