Are you overweight and suffer from ongoing back pain? Do you have a desk job or otherwise sit for most of the day?
A study from the University of Turku in Finland provides evidence that reducing daily sitting can prevent back pain from worsening over six months.
This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge regarding the relationship between physical activity and back pain, particularly among individuals who spend significant portions of their day sitting.
Conducted by the Turku PET Centre and UKK Institute, the study focused on overweight or obese adults who are largely sedentary.
Participants managed to reduce their sitting time by an average of 40 minutes per day during the six-month trial.
According to Doctoral Researcher and Physiotherapist Jooa Norha, the participants were typical middle-age adults with sedentary lifestyles, little exercise and excess weight — factors that heighten the risk of both cardiovascular disease and back pain.
This study employed advanced imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and PET scans, to investigate potential biological mechanisms linking sitting to back pain.
Interestingly, the findings revealed that the reduction in sitting did not correlate with improvements in muscle composition or metabolism.
Norha noted that those with back pain often have excess fat in their back muscles and may exhibit impaired glucose metabolism (deficiency in uptake of blood sugar by muscle cells).
However, this study showed that back pain can be mitigated even in the absence of changes in these specific muscle conditions.
Participants were encouraged to consider ways to decrease their sitting time, whether at work or during leisure activities.
Norha emphasized that while reducing sitting is beneficial, engaging in physical activities like walking or brisk exercise is more effective than merely standing up.
The importance of varying postures throughout the day was highlighted, suggesting that shifting positions can be more beneficial than striving for a single “perfect” posture.
While the relationship between sitting and back pain is becoming clearer, practical strategies for reducing sedentary behavior remain essential.
Below are articles about how to sit less and walk or move more.
How Often Should You Leave Your Chair During Computer Work?
Excess Sitting Raises Calcium Score: What You Should Do
How to Reverse the Harm of 3 Hours’ Non-Stop Sitting
How to Get 15,000 Steps a Day if You Have a Desk Job
How to Avoid the Sitting Disease with a Treadmill Desk
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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