Pandemic posture, what it is and what to do if you suffer the consequences of the “pandemic posture”

It has been more than a year since the Covid-19 pandemic began, but the world still continues to face this deadly virus day in and day out. There are still a lot of people in smart working ma, Like all things, working from home also has its pros and cons. Remote work can indeed have many advantages but at the same time it can be a bane to our physical health.

One of the consequences of the pandemic is a sedentary lifestyle. Compared to a previous survey carried out by Santagostino Medical Center (November 2019), in which 20% of the sample was sedentary, the percentage in recent months seems to have risen a lot and beyond 30% say they cannot do any physical activity. In addition, beds and sofas have become makeshift offices, and kitchen tables have become school desks for all the kids in DAD. For these reasons, many experts have started talking about pandemic posture, i.e. pandemic posture.

Even if it’s the first time you’ve heard this term, they are there good chance that you have already experienced the effects of pandemic posture. After all, a whole year of lockdowns with never-before-seen movement restriction, the mass closure of gyms, commuting to and from the bedroom and to and from the dining room, have undoubtedly had a major impact on everything. our body.

But what exactly is pandemic posture? According to experts, pandemic posture is an epidemic in itself. It is the attitude that many have of sitting incorrectly, hunching your shoulders forward, almost collapsing in front of the computer screen on chairs that are not suitable for correctly supporting our posture.

Katie Knapton, founder of PhysioFast Online, he said: “Since the pandemic began, there has certainly been an increase in problems regarding neck and back pain, and increased concern for posture and associated problems. Parents in particular are very worried that their children spend so much time in front of the screens. These problems arise due to thehigh amount of time we spend in one location, because the human being is designed to move, not to sit still ».

There are some red flags that can help you understand if you are dealing with poor posture due to the pandemic. For example, a clue is if we feel uncomfortable when sitting, or if we feel pain in that position. Not only that: you might be dealing with forte back pain, stiff neck or shoulder pain, numbness or tingling in the arms and hands, stiffness and pain in the hips and even headaches.

Dr. Gbolahan Okubadejo, a spinal and orthopedic surgeon based in New York, explained in detail what the consequences of pandemic posture can be: “The incorrect posture resulting from the pandemic can exercise a excessive pressure on the spine, which causes damage to nerves and muscles, and weakness in the lower back “.

“A hunched back can then be the cause of poor blood circulation. This affects the oxygen supply and can lead to blood clots and hypertension – explained Okubadejo. long-term effects of pandemic postures they include, but are not limited to, arthritis, circulation problems, temporomandibular joint syndrome, fatigue, headaches and even depression ‘.

The latter factor is of particular concern. The strong connection between body and mind has been well documented over the years, so it is believed that poor posture can negatively affect our mental well-being. According to experts, in fact, pandemic posture can cause increased stress. In addition, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois published in theInternational Journal of Obesity, has shown how pandemic posture can damage attention span, making us much more vulnerable to the distractions that surround us.

In short, the side effects of poor posture and a too sedentary life include everything: from physical pain to lack of concentration, from weight gain to sleep loss. As if that weren’t enough, research conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine confirmed that staying sitting for long periods of time is associated with a greater number of health problems; including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUFFER FROM PANDEMIC POSTURE

Now that it is clear what are the alarm bells of the pandemic posture and its consequences, we just have to understand how to face (and solve) the issue. The crux of the problem is the way you sit during work / study and moments of relaxation.

According to experts from the Yale School of Medicine, one of the most important things in the fight against pandemic posture is having an ergonomically correct desk and seat. “When we recline in our seats with no lower back support and our legs are crossed or resting on another surface, we create a curve in the lumbar region of the spine that could apply excessive pressure to the intervertebral discs. In this case, the neck and shoulder muscles have to work twice as much to keep the head straight, which eventually leads to pain and tension in those muscle groups as well.

What to do then? First, you need to use a chair capable of giving lumbar support, then you have to sit with your feet flat on the floor, and legs and arms at 90 degrees. Secondly, the computer screen should be at eye level. Doing so will not look downward adding extra tension to the neck.

This is undoubtedly the most optimal position to maintain correct posture while working. However, it too, if sustained for a long time, can cause discomfort. Our body is made to move, which is why it is ideal take a break from a sedentary position every hour. Just take a short walk around the block, go up and down the stairs to your house a step of times, or stand up for during your coffee break. Use these minutes to stretch your legs, move your muscles and get the blood flowing again.

Last but not least, do the stretching quotidiano. Movement is the best solution to combat posture problems due to time capsule chair-sofa-chair in which our body has been stuck for the past 12 months. Dr. Okubadejo confirms: “Doing daily stretching and incorporating some stretching exercises into your routine, in particular shoulder, neck and hip flexor stretches, can help remedy some of the damage to your back, neck, shoulders and hips due to pandemic postures ».