Sitting all day? What it does to your back, and simple fixes

Desk work, long commutes and evenings on the sofa add up. Many of the people I see with low back and neck pain spend eight hours or more a day sitting, and their bodies are telling them about it.

What long hours of sitting do

• Your hip flexors, at the front of the hips, stay shortened and can feel tight when you stand up
• Your low back and upper back stiffen from staying in one position
• Your head drifts forward towards the screen, loading the neck and shoulders
• Moving less overall is linked with wider health risks, not just back pain

The best posture is your next posture

There is no single perfect way to sit. What helps most is changing position often. Stand up and move for a couple of minutes at least every 30 minutes; a walk to refill your water bottle counts.

Quick desk changes

• Top of the screen at about eye level, an arm's length away
• Feet flat on the floor, hips slightly higher than knees
• Laptop on a stand with a separate keyboard if you work on it all day
• Phone calls standing up or walking

Three simple stretches

1. Hip flexor stretch: kneel on one knee, tuck your tailbone under and shift forward gently until you feel a stretch at the front of the hip. Hold for 30 seconds each side.
2. Upper back extension: sit tall, hands behind your head, and gently arch your upper back over the backrest of your chair. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
3. Chin tucks: sitting tall, glide your chin straight back as if making a double chin, hold for 3 seconds and relax. Repeat 10 times.

Stop any stretch that causes sharp pain, pins and needles or numbness. If back or neck pain keeps coming back, read more about low back pain and neck pain and headaches.