Most people are happy to accept that this is a logical conclusion, but there is some evidence to suggest that this is not the case, many people sit for long periods of time (6 hours + a day without back pain). Others assert that posture is not directly related to pain at all but a more complex neurological phenomenon. It seems logical that the effects of sitting are determined by who the person sitting is i.e. how many years have they been sitting excessively? What else are they doing in their life i.e. do they have hobbies that undo the negative effects of sitting such as yoga or going to the gym? Have they got specific postural weakness or susceptibilities like hyper-mobility that may predispose them to problems? Are they aged and have underlying muscle weakness? Is it about back pain? Sitting passively, i.e in a supported chair for long periods of time is not what we evolved for. It does not give the body the input it requires. We evolved to move, only recently have inventions like central heating allowed us to sit for long periods without moving. Sitting for long periods de-conditions the cardiovascular system and predisposes you for strokes and high blood pressure. Sitting also has metabolic effects; muscles weaken and are replaced by fat, cardiovascular fitness drops. The whole body down regulates itself and becomes lethargic and de-conditioned, this leads indirectly to poor sleep, depression etc. How do we prevent the build-up of these issues? Stay tuned for the next post!