Are you slouched in your chair right now, scrolling through your phone, or working all day on a computer? You might want to stand up and move around before it’s too late. A new study suggests that reducing sedentary time (sitting and inactivity) could be an easy and free way of preventing back pain from worsening. Researchers in Finland say cutting down on time spent sitting is especially beneficial for those who are overweight and physically inactive.
A team from the University of Turku conducted a six-month trial to investigate whether cutting down on sitting time could improve back pain and affect certain muscle characteristics. The study, published in BMJ Open, involved 64 adults between 40 and 65 years-old who were overweight or obese and met the criteria for metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Half of the participants were asked to reduce their daily sitting time by one hour, while the other half continued their usual routines. The intervention group was encouraged to replace sitting with standing, light physical activity, or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. They wore accelerometers throughout the study to track their movements and received personalized goals through a mobile app.
Interestingly, while back pain intensity remained stable in the group sitting less, it increased significantly in the control group over the six-month period. This suggests that reducing the time you spend being inactive (like sitting on a couch) might help prevent chronic back pain from getting worse.
“If you have a tendency for back pain or excessive sitting and are concerned for your back health, you can try to figure out ways for reducing sitting at work or during leisure time. However, it is important to note that physical activity, such as walking or more brisk exercise, is better than simply standing up,” says doctoral researcher and physiotherapist Jooa Norha from the University of Turku in a media release.
Despite these results, the study didn’t find any significant changes in pain-related disability or in the composition and function of the back muscles between the two groups. The researchers used advanced imaging techniques to measure muscle fat content and insulin sensitivity, but these factors didn’t seem to be affected by the intervention.
“We did not observe that the changes in back pain were related to changes in the fattiness or glucose metabolism of the back muscles,” Norha notes.
The study’s results are particularly relevant given the increasing concerns about prolonged sitting in modern society. With many people spending long hours at desk jobs or engaged in screen-based leisure activities, finding ways to reduce sedentary time could have widespread health benefits.
“Our participants were quite normal middle-aged adults, who sat a great deal, exercised little, and had gained some extra weight. These factors not only increase the risk for cardiovascular disease but also for back pain,” Norha adds.
So, next time you find yourself sitting for extended periods, remember: standing up and moving around might do more than just stretch your legs — it could help keep your back pain at bay.
Source: https://studyfinds.org/sitting-less-ease-back-pain/?nab=0