Office Chair “Butt’

By: Melody Rabor-Dizon

 

So, you’ve heard of this mysterious condition called ‘office chair butt’, have yout? Well, let me enlighten you. Picture this: you’re sitting in your office chair for hours on end, typing away like a maniac. Suddenly, you start to feel a strange sensation in your derriere. Yes, my friend, that’s ‘office chair butt’ creeping up on you! It’s that delightful phenomenon known as the surprising impact of sitting on your glutes’
Did you know that sitting for long periods of time can turn your gluteus maximus into a lazy bum? “Office chair butt” is no laughing matter. Try to move around occasionally to keep your glutes in shape! Sitting for extended periods without regular exercise can have a noticeable impact on the derriere’s appearance. Inactivity tends to diminish muscle tone and alter its shape over time.

TikTok’s new fear of work is getting an office chair butt. Should people really be concerned about an office chair? Take a look at the experts’ insights on the effects of prolonged sitting on your body and learn how to maintain the health of your muscles while seated at your desk from 9 to 5.

Picture a young woman lounging in her office chair, completely engrossed in her smartphone in her cozy little apartment. Is it possible that sitting for extended periods of time can lead to the dreaded “office chair butt”? You bet! The term “office chair butt” doesn’t actually have a legitimate medical definition. It’s just one of those phrases people throw around without any real significance.

Experts say our glutes can become seriously out of shape and lose muscle mass if we spend all our time sitting in a chair. So much for our sedentary lifestyle, huh? When the body is just chilling out, the muscles, including the glutes, deltoids, pectorals, hamstrings, and more, are basically taking a nap and not doing any work. Over time, this can make them go all wobbly-wobbly. Weakened muscles can also get invaded by fatty tissue, which definitely doesn’t do them any favors in the resilience department.

People have termed up the new look of office chair butt as flat as a pancake or as squishy as a marshmallow, especially if muscle gets swapped out for fat.”. Meaning the muscle with the largest cross-sectional area in the body, the gluteus maximus, loses its former glory.

Experts added sitting for too long can even mess with our looks by making our muscles shorter or tighter. Our body’s design tends to conform to the shape of our chairs. Imagine the look!!! On the other hand, glutes only become weakened and may give you low back pain, hip pain and give you a poor posture. Poor posture and sitting over bony prominences can lead to pressure ulcer wounds. If someone is suffering from the discomfort of sitting for extended periods, they might be dealing with what some folks refer to as “dead butt syndrome,” instead of office chair butt. “Dead butt syndrome” can also mimic sciatica nerve compression, where there are sensations like numbness, tingling, and pain due to tendinopathy Another word coined as gluteal amnesia is defined as when your muscles forget how to contract after sitting for too long. Hence, the saying, if you don’t use it, you will lose it.

SO HOW DO WE AVOID THIS?

When you decide to move more rather than just sitting down, when you choose the standing desk over the traditional one, or when you opt using the stairs instead of the elevator, when you decide that you are not going to develop an office-chair-butt syndrome, that is when the magic begins.

Just sitting on an office chair all day won’t send you running to the doctor; however, choose not to ignore the consequences of prolonged
sitting. It can do a number on your back or neck.” “Furthermore, as we get older, our muscles may become less flexible and lose their
firmness unless we make an effort to combat this through regular exercises
or mixing it up by climbing the stairs at work.

Ultimately, adopting a few healthy habits can allow us to enjoy the perks of a stronger and more toned posterior by encouraging excellent health choices, thereby boosting self-esteem and promoting fitness—and with no disrespect, without
any intention of body shaming, only celebrating each other’s shapes and sizes is equally important!