Sitting is a tremendous health hazard, and the average American sits for eight hours per day. It is really important to address the issues that arise from sitting and to examine your clients’ daily activities outside the gym. Clients spend the majority of their day at work or home and the work done in the gym should reflect clients’ everyday behaviors to ensure proper function and prevent injury.
The most obvious hazard from sitting too much is a bad back. There is a greater risk of herniated disks and inflexibility in the spine. Slumping over also affects the neck and shoulders. Additionally, abdominal muscles are not used when sitting, and can become mushy and underused, further aggravating back issues and posture issues. Sitting also limits hip mobility and tightens and shortens hips and limits range of motion. Further, there is link between increased sitting and a higher risk for colon, breast and endometrial cancer. Movement increases antioxidant production, which lowers free radicals and therefore decreases cancer risk.
First, as your client’s personal trainer, you should teach teach them how to sit properly. Tell them not to lean forward, keep their shoulders relaxed and keep their arms close to their sides. Their feet should be flat on the floor with the elbows bent at 90 degrees. Encourage them to take frequent breaks and get up from their desk every 30 minutes. Next, incorporate stretches like cat/cow or hip flexor stretches into your weekly training sessions to alleviate issues from sitting. Also, think about which exercises you can incorporate into your program to improve strength and posture.
What else have you done with your clients to prevent the pitfalls of sitting?
Denise Groothuis MS, RD and CPT has a BS from Cornell University and an MS in Applied Physiology and Nutrition from Columbia University. She is certified by the National Federation of Professional Trainers (NFPT) and licensed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration through the Academy of Nutrition of Dietetics. She is a personal trainer and RD with her own nutritional practice, Worth Your Weight Nutrition Experts.
I’m not a trainer but I did start a healthier trend of the stand up workstation.
You can stand or sit. For example, I stand from 7am – 12 then I site when I have lunch. From 2 – 5pm I stand again. I work with my massage therapist on how to stand correctly and I show by example to others. Now about 12 people here have stand up work stations.
I use to work as a server in a restaurant. When I got another job, it was a desk job. Soon after I had bad back problems which included pinched nerves and muscle spasms.
I incorporated more breaks through out my day, I stand up for a while, and I do a lot of stretching. I stretch in the mornings and at night. The stretching is mostly hamstring stretches, glute stretches, and lower back/hip area stretches. I also will clench my buttocks together while lying down and will get a little pop in my lower back area. It gives a little release.