Sitting less and increasing daily activity could be a simple solution to help back pain from getting worse, and just 40 minutes of less sedentary time would be enough.
To find out if reducing daily sitting could prevent or relieve back pain, Finnish researchers recruited 64 overweight or obese adults who spend the majority of their days sitting. All of them had some level of back pain.
The participants’ physical activity and sedentary behaviour were assessed using accelerometers for about one month. They were then randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group was asked to reduce their sedentary behaviour by just an hour a day for six months. The control group continued as usual. On average, participants in the intervention group were able to reduce their sitting by 40 minutes a day.
At six months, back pain intensity increased by about twofold in the control group, while back pain intensity remained unchanged in the intervention group. “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,” the study lead author advised.”
Engaging in physical activity, such as walking or more brisk exercise, is better than simply standing up, the researchers said.
The findings were published in BMJ Open.
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