The New Smoking? Why Too Much Sitting Is Hurting More Than Your Back

Many of us spend hours each day sitting. We sit while working, driving, answering emails, attending meetings, scrolling through our phones, and relaxing in front of the television.

The problem isn't simply sitting itself. The real issue is how long we sit and how little we move.

Research continues to show that prolonged sitting is associated with a range of health problems including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, poor mental health, and musculoskeletal conditions such as chronic neck and back pain.

Even people who exercise regularly are not immune. If you spend more than seven hours sitting each day, especially if you remain seated for longer than 30 minutes without moving, your body can still pay a price.

Your Spine Was Built for Movement

Your spine is designed to move. When we remain seated for extended periods, several things begin to happen:

• Muscles become tight and stiff

• Joint mobility decreases

• Blood circulation slows

• Posture gradually deteriorates

• The head drifts forward

• The upper back rounds

• The lower back loses its natural curve

Over time, these changes place increased stress on the muscles, joints, and discs of the spine. This is one reason why so many office workers, drivers, students, and people working from home experience headaches, neck tension, shoulder pain, and lower back discomfort.

Posture Still Matters

One of the most common postural problems we see in practice is forward head posture. For every centimetre your head moves forward, the muscles of the neck and upper back must work harder to support it.

A simple posture check while sitting can make a big difference:

• Keep your feet flat on the floor

• Sit back into your chair

• Position your hips slightly higher than your knees

• Keep your shoulders relaxed

• Avoid poking your chin forward

• Position your screen at eye level

• Keep your elbows close to your sides

If you use a laptop for long periods, consider using a separate keyboard and mouse so you can raise the screen to a more comfortable height.

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The 30-Minute Rule

One of the most powerful strategies for protecting your spine is surprisingly simple: Move every 30 minutes.

Stand up. Walk around. Stretch. Refill your water bottle. Take a phone call standing up. The movement itself is often more important than the specific exercise.

Small movement breaks throughout the day help restore circulation, reduce stiffness, improve concentration, and decrease the stress placed on your spine.

Simple Ways to Move More at Work

You don't need a gym membership to improve your spinal health. Try:

• Walking while taking phone calls

• Holding walking meetings

• Using a sit-stand desk

• Taking lunch breaks away from your desk

• Walking to speak with a colleague instead of sending an email

• Placing printers and rubbish bins further away

• Performing regular stretching breaks

Small changes repeated consistently often produce the biggest long-term benefits.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help

Many people don't realise their posture and movement habits are contributing to recurring neck pain, headaches, or back pain until symptoms become persistent.

A chiropractic assessment can help identify postural stresses, movement restrictions, and lifestyle factors that may be affecting spinal health. At Lane Cove Chiropractic Centre, we work with office workers, professionals, students, drivers, and people working from home to help improve posture, mobility, and spinal function.

This Spinal Health Month, take a moment to assess your workspace.

Your body was designed to move. The more movement you build into your day, the happier your spine will be.

References Australian Chiropractors Association. Spinal Health Month 2026. My Healthy Workspace: Sitting Well Factsheet. For complete references visit chiro.org.au/references.

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Dr Mark has a special interest in helping recreational athletes of all ages perform better and prevent injury. Correct breathing and postural alignment are critical for top performance and injury prevention and is an integral part of “The Over 40 Athlete System” that Mark has developed.

Dr Julie has a special interest in helping mothers and “mothers to be”. Her Post Graduate qualifications in Paediatric Chiropractic and as an ex-midwife give her a unique ability to help pregnant women, new mums and their young children.

Yours in Health,

Dr's Mark & Julie