WHY SITTING TOO MUCH CAN cause pain AND HOW TO FIX IT
For many students, school means sitting in one place for hours every day. We have pretty much normalized being glued to a chair, whether it’s for a three-hour-long lecture, spending six hours debugging code, or even longer in a workspace. While it’s not always our choice, prolonged sitting has become a regular part of life. Moreover, due to the technological advancements we have made, everything has become more efficient and convenient. Now that both work and entertainment revolve around sitting, an increasingly sedentary lifestyle slowly becomes our way of life. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), adolescents (ages 11-19) are recommended to spend no more than 2-3 hours daily on sedentary activities. Yet a 2024 global study led by James F. Sallis from the University of California, San Diego found that adolescents now average 8-10 hours of sitting per day, exceeding 200% more than the recommended amount.
Despite the regular occurrence of prolonged sitting, it causes a myriad of health consequences. An increasing number of people are already experiencing the effects, even if they don’t realize they are due to extended sitting. Recent research has discovered linkages between prolonged sitting with issues from light, local discomforts to life-threatening conditions. For example, the British Chiropractic Association in 2015 reported that over 86% of people, regardless of age, experience either neck or back pain. Meanwhile, a study by Dunstan et al. (2012) found that prolonged sitting is closely associated with higher risks for metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and even premature death. What’s worse? The number of people suffering from these issues is expected to spike in the coming years. Thus, it is important for us to acknowledge the negative health outcomes brought by prolonged sitting and make changes in order to improve our health.
Although the effects of prolonged sitting may sound scary, they can be easily reduced by making a few tweaks to our lifestyle. Below are some simple but effective ways to break down your sitting time and keep your body healthy:
Take regular breaks every 30 minutes of work
Try setting a timer on your device to remind yourself to stand up, walk around, and stretch. Even if it’s just for a minute or two, it's still better than having no breaks at all.
Change up your workspace
Switch your work location from time to time. A change of scenery can be refreshing to your mind and get you moving.
Try standing occasionally while you work
If possible, alternate between standing and sitting. You can look for a standing desk or put your laptop on an elevated platform to encourage yourself to stand as you work.
Although these small changes may seem minor, they can make a positive impact on your health in the long run. Not only will they benefit your muscles, joints, and blood circulation, but they help protect you from the major health risks that may arise over time. So next time when you find yourself sitting too long, remember to get up and move. Your future self will thank you!
References:
Collins, David. “Back Pain Soars among Young People Because They Are Sitting down for Too Long.” Daily Mirror, 12 Apr. 2015, www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/back-pain-soars-among-young-5506295. Accessed 28 Aug. 2025.
Dunstan, David W., et al. “Too Much Sitting – a Health Hazard.” Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, vol. 97, no. 3, Sept. 2012, pp. 368–376, pausit.se/de/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/PIIS0168822712002082.pdf, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.diabres.2012.05.020.
Gao, Wayne, et al. “Occupational Sitting Time, Leisure Physical Activity, and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality.” JAMA Network Open, vol. 7, no. 1, 19 Jan. 2024, p. e2350680, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2814094, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.50680.
Katella, Kathy. “Why Is Sitting so Bad for Us?” Yale Medicine, 28 Aug. 2019, www.yalemedicine.org/news/sitting-health-risks.
Stamatakis, Emmanuel, et al. “Sitting Time, Physical Activity, and Risk of Mortality in Adults.” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 73, no. 16, Apr. 2019, pp. 2062–2072, www.onlinejacc.org/content/73/16/2062, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2019.02.031.
Picture credit: https://www.saintlukeskc.org/health-library/back-safety-sitting