Abstract
While it is generally recognized that prolonged sitting periods at work can harm the locomotor system, little attention has been paid to the impact of sitting behavior on muscle stiffness. This study investigated the effect of sitting posture and postural activity on lower back muscle stiffness in a controlled experiment in which participants sat at a desk for 4.5 h. Lower back muscle stiffness was measured before and after the sitting period. In addition, continuous recording of kinematic data of the lower back using an eight-camera motion analysis system was applied to quantify sitting posture and the level of postural activity. The results show that the prolonged sitting period led to a significant increase in muscle stiffness. Further, all participants spent a substantial amount of time in a slumped sitting posture, and the level of postural activity varied significantly throughout the 4.5 h sitting period. Those results suggest that the increase in lumbar muscle stiffness is presumably related to the often-preferred slump sitting posture and may help to understand how prolonged sitting periods can increase susceptibility to common pathological conditions such as low back pain. However, the results also leave some uncertainties that need further investigation.
Highlights
Sedentary behavior is a growing public health concern worldwide
A much-debated question is whether these negative consequences of long sitting periods can be associated with a low level of postural activity [15] and an unfavorable sitting posture [1,16]
We hypothesized hypothesized that that the the increase increase back muscle stiffness back muscle muscle stiffness correlates with the time time spent spent in in aa slumped slumped sitting sitting position
Summary
Sedentary behavior is a growing public health concern worldwide. in developed nations, people sit 8.3 h a day on average on their way to work, at the office, or at home [1,2,3]. Research has shown that long sitting periods can cause increased muscle stiffness and fatigue [6,7,8], discomfort [9,10,11], and, at worst, low back pain (LBP) [12,13,14]. In this regard, a much-debated question is whether these negative consequences of long sitting periods can be associated with a low level of postural activity [15] and an unfavorable sitting posture [1,16]. Experimental studies that quantify sitting behavior for several hours to examine how it affects the locomotor system and how it may affect the back’s vulnerability to injury are largely missing
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
