The Risks Associated with Prolonged Desk Work

Sitting for hour after hour when at work or at home, be it using a computer, watching TV or knitting, results in your body not getting the movement it needs to stay healthy.

The major systems of the body – musculoskeletal, circulatory and nervous, are all designed to move little and often. Unfortunately, our lifestyles and the increased interaction with all aspects of technology, dissuade us from making these transient but frequent changes of position.

Prolonged sitting will increase your risk of developing mildly annoying musculoskeletal disorders (MSD’s), such as an achy back or neck, to more disabling back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome or tennis elbow.

Over a number of years, the risks increase further due to potential muscular deconditioning to result in elevated blood pressure and reduced cardiac health.

Whilst sitting is not the only culprit, it is a contributory factor that becomes more significant in the presence of additional stressors to the body, such as obesity, smoking and reduced fitness.

The solution to reducing your risks is not complicated, however it requires you to take action before the symptoms arise.

Simple habits of standing and changing your position for a transient 15 seconds every 15 minutes works very well. This can be augmented with a commitment to walk away from your desk for at least 10 minutes every lunchtime.

If you have questions or would like to discuss your situation with one of our Cardiff physios, please simply complete our contact form and we will call you back.