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It has now become almost cliche that sitting for too long can be bad for your health. When you sit for a prolonged time, you put yourself at the risk of high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, and even abnormal body fat.
But do you know that prolonged sitting periods can also cause you to have an office chair butt? What is it and how can you prevent it from happening? Especially when you work an office job that requires you to sit for hours?
That's what this blog post is about. Here, you'll learn about office chair butt and everything you can do to prevent yourself from having it. Let's go straight to the point.
What Is an Office Chair Butt?
Office chair butt is what happens to your buttocks when you sit for too long. Your buttocks change appearance because the prolonged sitting causes you to lose muscle tone and become weak in your glutes.
What Causes Office Chair Butt？
The causes of office chair butt include not exercising, bad posture, lack of support, and sitting for too long.
Can Sitting for Too Long Actually Cause an Office Chair Butt?
Yes. Sitting for too long is the top cause of office chair butt. This is because sitting for too long will make your hip flexors short and your glutes weak.
What Can You Do to Prevent Office Chair Butt
You know it's better and more cost effective to prevent something from happening at all than to start looking for a solution. So, how do you even prevent office chair butt from happening? Here are eight (8) ways that work.
1. Optimize the Setup of Your Office Chair
Image source: Boulies
Do you know that even the kind of chair you use in the office can contribute to you having an office chair butt? The cure for this is simple; find a good chair and use it appropriately.
Using a chair that offers adequate lumbar support, for instance, will help you avoid the negative effects of sitting for too long, especially if your job demands it. Again, you'll enjoy a good posture and not have to endure issues like back pain or waist cramps. That is in addition to keeping your spinal cord healthy.
If you're wondering the kind of office chair that will help you stay away from experiencing office chair butt, we have it at Boulies. And you'll definitely love having and using the chair if you make a purchase.
2. Take Regular Standing or Movement Breaks
We get it. Office work requires a kind of sedentary lifestyle where you have to sit for long hours at a stretch. But what if you actually maximize the periods where you could be standing instead of sitting?
For instance, if you want to receive or make a call, you can stand to get that done. Also, if the call is to a coworker, you can simply walk over to their office or desk instead of even calling at all. Apart from helping prevent the office chair butt, you'll also find out that you tend to make more movements this way.
In addition, use your breaks wisely. Don't spend them at your desk. Go outside and feel rejuvenated. We also advise that even during long stretches of work, you get up every twenty to thirty minutes and stretch your body.
3. Incorporate Seated Glute Exercises
A seated glute exercise does not require you to do much. It's a simple yoga pose you do while sitting to improve flexibility in your body and release tension in your glutes.
An example is a seated glute stretch. To achieve this, sit on the floor and set your back straight and upright. Then stretch your legs properly in front of you. Now, put your left ankle on your right knee while ensuring that your back is still straight. Hold for about 20 seconds. Next, put your right ankle on your left knee. That's all.
Another example is glute squeezes. It's also easy. You tighten your glute muscles for five seconds and release it. Repeat this about ten times at a go.
A seated glute exercise may be uncomfortable the first few times. But you'll get it after a few trials. What we mostly love about seated glutes exercises is that they are very easy to perform. And you do not need to invest in gym subscriptions or equipment to do them.
You can also research to find other seated glute exercises that suit you and you can do without investing too much time and resources. YouTube has helpful resources for instance.
4. Adopt a Consistent Workout Routine
When people hear “workout routine,” they quickly think that it means you have to work out everyday. But that's a wrong and uninformed way of thinking about a workout routine.
So what is it?
Well, a workout routine is a set of physical exercises that you perform regularly in a planned sequence so that you can improve your core and physical fitness.
This means two things; one, your workout routine doesn't have to be every day. It can be daily, every two days, or weekly. But whatever you choose, your routine should allow for periods of rest.
Two, your workout routine should include a combination of different exercises that target different areas of your body. This means you don't just start a workout, you have to schedule it first.
So, how does a consistent workout routine help prevent office chair butt? When you workout regularly, you'll engage and strengthen your glute muscles so that they're not inactive.
This is why our third way of preventing office chair butt says you should do seated glute exercises. It's that simple.
5. Maintain Good Posture Throughout the Day
Good posture is how you hold your body in such a way that your waist balances and your spine aligns. You should be able to maintain good posture whether you're standing or sitting, especially when trying to prevent office chair butt.
When you maintain a good posture, there is even pressure distribution across your buttocks and your lower back area. This helps to make sure that you're not slouching and excessively straining your gluteal muscles in any way.
You can achieve a good standing posture with practice and awareness. But when it comes to your sitting posture, the kind of chair you use matters. This is why we advise that you buy a comfortable chair that is both durable and supports your body as a whole.
6. Use a Seat Cushion or Towel Roll
A seat cushion and towel roll work in exactly the same way.
How? They provide the additional padding and support that your buttocks mean so that there's less pressure and you can enjoy more comfort.
If you use an office chair that does not have good padding, it won't be able to support your back and your arms. This is where a seat cushion or a towel roll comes in.
Simply place either of them on the chair, ensure that the chair is padded enough, and then you can continue to use your chair without any discomfort.
7. Stay Hydrated and Eat a Balanced Diet
Eating balanced meals will help prevent you from experiencing office chair butt because a balanced diet provides the necessary nutrients your body needs, especially protein.
These nutrients are what maintain and repair the tissue in your muscle and glutes which can become weak from sitting for too long. They also support your overall health and weight management so that you do not risk muscle loss as a result of inactivity.
Consequently, staying hydrated will help your muscles maintain their proper function so that you don't experience muscle tightness or cramps.
So, if you want to avoid office chair butt, you need to work on your diet and drink enough water.
8. Consider Massage or Foam Rolling
When you get a body massage, your gluteal muscles release tension and tightness that can occur from sitting for too long.
A good body massage will also increase blood circulation and promote flexibility in the lower parts of your body. This will in turn, reduce the discomfort and pain that you feel when you sit prolongedly in an office chair.
Foam rolling does the exact same thing to your body. The only difference betya massage and foam rolling is that massage requires a skilled professional.
On the other hand, foam rolling involves you massaging your own body with the aid of a foam roller.
Conclusion
We've explained what an office chair butt is, how bad it can be for your health, and what causes it. But we've also left you with eight tested and true methods to prevent you from having to experience it.
Everything round up to moving your body frequently and at intervals. So, try to incorporate these tips into your daily living and experience the ease and comfort that you deserve.
Finally, do you need the right office chair? Well, why not visit us at Boulies?
The right ergonomic office chairs we recommend:
