Simple exercises to combat ‘office chair butt’ from sitting too long

Workplace employees have one thing new to fret about, in line with a warning that’s gone viral on social media.

“Workplace chair butt” is trending as a facet impact of sitting for too many hours, leaving the looks of a flatter behind.

Alissa Mosca, an authorized fitness trainer with Planet Health in New York, confirmed that “workplace chair butt” refers to muscle loss as a result of sitting stagnant in a single place and never activating the muscle tissues within the posterior chain (alongside the again of the physique).

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To fight this, Mosca recommends performing the next simple exercises all through the day to stimulate muscle activation within the glutes, hamstrings and quads.

“Workplace chair butt” can happen with extended sitting and lack of muscle motion, specialists warn. (iStock)

• Air squats (utilizing solely physique weight, squat down after which return to a standing place)
• Lunges (step ahead or backward till the knee is bent at a 90-degree angle with the again straight)
• Good mornings (bend ahead on the hips with a straight again, then return to an upright place)
• Bulgarian break up squats (carry out a lunge ahead whereas the again foot is elevated on a bench or platform behind you)

“These 4 workouts require no tools and may even be accomplished from the workplace chair,” she added.

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“It’s necessary to not solely deal with strength training workouts that activate the glutes, that are being sat on all day, however the surrounding muscle tissues as properly, which is what provides assist to the entire posterior chain,” Mosca mentioned.

She encourages workplace employees to include some kind of motion each time they rise up from their seat — ideally choosing one of many 4 actions above and performing 12 to fifteen reps, two to a few instances.

“As soon as that turns into extra of a routine, attempt setting a timer to do that each 45 minutes to an hour,” the coach recommended.

A coach recommends that workplace employees rise up each hour to stretch and work the muscle tissues. (iStock)

Incorporating these workouts right into a gym routine can be a good way to forestall muscle loss, in line with Mosca.

This would possibly embody a circuit with kettlebell swings, Smith machine squats (carried out on a machine with a hard and fast barbell), hip thrusts and strolling on an incline.

SIMPLE DAILY ACTIVITY COULD REDUCE RISK OF LOWER BACK PAIN, STUDY FINDS

Jonathan Puleio, a board-certified skilled ergonomist and world vice chairman at Humanscale – a New York Metropolis consulting observe centered on company ergonomics – additionally spoke about “workplace chair butt.”

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“Not solely are the muscle teams atrophying and weakening, however there’s additionally a buildup of fats tissue, which has a really completely different consistency and density than muscle,” he advised Fox Information Digital. “That is why … the form of the tissue seems a lot flatter — and even saggy, in some situations.”

Workplace chairs with extra supportive mechanisms or standing desks are nice swaps for selling higher posture and motion, specialists advise. (iStock)

Puleio agreed that muscle atrophy may be supported by motion and posture shifts, however famous that chair design additionally performs a giant position.

“Any chair design that may promote motion and assist postural shifts frequently all through the day can definitely fight points like this,” the knowledgeable mentioned.

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Sitting in a chair that helps motion, corresponding to one with a self-adjusting recline mechanism, might help stop this situation, in line with Puleio.

“The recline rigidity is predicated on the person’s physique weight,” he mentioned. “This removes the obstacles to motion that we usually see on historically designed chairs.”

Merely strolling is a superb train to strengthen muscle tissues through the workday, specialists say. (iStock)

Puleio additionally recommends utilizing sit-to-stand workstations and performing some duties whereas standing, corresponding to taking a telephone name in your toes.

“Taking micro-breaks, stepping away out of your work, going to get a glass of water, taking a lap across the workplace, going exterior and taking a fast stroll – these are all nice methods to fight this specific concern,” he mentioned.

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The knowledgeable additionally urges employers to take their workers’ consolation significantly and to take steps to make sure healthy workplace ergonomics.

“Discomfort is the precursor to ache and harm,” he warned, noting that accidents may be “pricey and debilitating.”