Reducing the risks of sitting Tom Bedford & Ben Ousey St Clements Osteopathy, Oxford Wednesday 23 September 2015

Sitting at work

Some coping strategies for the 21st century

4 out of 5 people in the UK have a desk job What percentage of your working life is spent sitting? Sitting outside of work

Humans evolved to hunter-gather, to move Health is maintained by movement

Why do we get pain at work?

Sitting: the dangers of stasis

Longhaul travel Bedsores Muscle wasting

Not just muscular pain, but systemic disease: London Transport Workers Study, Lancet 1953

Cardiovascular risks of sitting

From Wilmot & Edwardson's 2012 paper on sitting and the associated pathologies. Those that sat most, compared to those that sat least, have a: • 112% increase in risk of diabetes • 147% increase in cardiovascular events • 90% increase in death due to cardiovascular events • 49% increase in death due to any cause Wilmot EG, Edwardson CL, Achana FA, et al (2012). Sedentary time in adults and the association with diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death: systematic review and meta-analysis Diabetologia. Published online August 14 2012.

Is sitting the new smoking?

An epidemic of future health issues from something that we all do?

Where do we get pain?

What can I do to reduce the risks of sitting?

Sit less! Move more!

• Never sit for more than an hour • Set a timer • Drink water • Go to the toilet • Lunchtime is movement time! • Never take a phone call sitting down

Even better... if practical: run on the spot and do these exercises!

Simple exercises 1. Shoulder Rolls

2. Neck rotations

3. Arm lifts

4. Mid-back twists

What can I do to reduce the risks of sitting?

Sit better!

• Mouse position. Pain around shoulder / blade on your mouse

arm? Move your mouse closer to your body. • Standing desks • Reading stands

What can I do to reduce the risks of sitting?

Increase movement outside of the workplace • Some sitting in a desk job is inevitable • Reduce sitting at home • Don't use tablets on the sofa = work strain • Don't drive to work. Driving = sitting • Choose exercise that moves the neck, shoulder

and back (eg yoga, swimming, gym. NB: cycling).

What can I do to reduce the risks of sitting?

See an osteopath

Osteopaths release tight muscles and joints to restore pain free movement.

What can I do to reduce the risks of sitting?

Recognise the importance of stress • The role of stress in causing back, neck and

shoulder pain can't be underestimated. • A significant proportion of the clients we see are

going through a difficult time. • The human response to stress is to contract

muscles, this leads to pain or increases the chance of pain.

• Mindfulness is a clinically proved method of reducing stress and anxiety.

Please move more!

QUESTIONS?