6 Ways To Reduce Low Back Pain If You Spend A Lot Of Time Sitting

Fortunately, a few simple techniques can mitigate some of the negative side effects of all that sitting, including stiffness, soreness, and lower back pain. Let's go over a few of my favorites that don't involve shelling out for walking pads or ergonomic furniture (although both of these can be helpful, too!).

Unfortunately, there are limited solutions to it due to the way we process pain. Pain is complex—no specific, localized area in the brain is responsible for its processing. Factors like mood and individual tolerance4 influence our perception of pain and modulate how we experience it.

Sitting can come with health consequences, but for most people, standing all day is not an option. We need to sit to engage in major parts of life, such as working, learning, dining with friends, and doing our hobbies. And that's OK. Here are six low-cost ways to begin to ease stiffness and low back pain from excessive sitting: 

Tracking your time seated (like you might already track your step count) can give you a sense of your baseline and help you set more tailored movement goals.

Training the deep core muscles helps support your trunk while seated. A strong core supports your spine, reducing stress on intervertebral discs and joints. A study with 30 participants with lower back pain demonstrated a significant reduction in pain and decreased trunk muscle fatigue during seated tasks following a five-week core strengthening program5.

Getting out of your chair every 30 minutes can help prevent some of these issues. Breaks can include a quick full-body stretch, a three-minute dance break, or pacing while talking on the phone. Try incorporating deep hip stretches or foam rolling to soothe sore hip flexors.

Small movements in your chair can be helpful if regular breaks aren't possible. If you're feeling fatigued or have limitations in mobility, chair press-ups can help to relieve pressure and soreness. Grasp the sides of the seat, then extend the arms to lift your bottom from the chair slowly. With your feet resting on the floor, you should only hold this position for a few seconds. A short chair yoga routine can also work wonders for stiffness.

Your chair should comfortably support your back, allowing your feet to rest flat on the ground and your knees to be aligned with or slightly lower than your hips. To reduce strain, your monitor should be at eye level, about an arm's length away. Lumbar supports, footrests, and monitor stands are worthwhile investments if you spend a lot of time at your desk.

With some back pain, especially sciatica, early intervention from a physical or occupational therapist is better than the wait-and-see approach.

Incorporating these six strategies can help prevent discomfort and avert some of the ailments of a sedentary lifestyle from prolonged sitting. But if you're experiencing chronic or sudden new pain, it's important to have a conversation with your health care provider. Pain is an early sign of various conditions and might be a sign of a more severe health issue.