If your daily routine consists of going from home to your car, then to the office and back again, your body gradually adapts to a lack of movement. Physiotherapist and rehabilitation specialist Vladimir Karasenko explains why this lifestyle can lead to pain and discomfort.
Your leg and glute muscles «fall asleep»
«You don’t walk, you rarely climb stairs, and you don’t put weight on your legs. Your gluteal muscles stop working — they simply aren’t needed when you’re constantly sitting. Your lower back takes on the entire load. After a month, you notice your entire back aching by the end of the day,» Karasenko explains.
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He also notes that the neck gradually begins to jut forward. This happens because you sit leaning forward in the car. At the office, you’re at a computer. At home, you’re on your phone. Your head is constantly positioned in front of your shoulders.
Over the course of a month, the muscles in your neck and upper trapezius adapt to this posture. You may feel persistent tension without necessarily connecting it to your daily commute.
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Joints lose mobility
«Your hip joints don’t move through their full range because you’re sitting all the time. Your ankles don’t get much movement because you’re barely walking. Lymphatic fluid doesn’t circulate as effectively because the ‘muscle pump’ isn’t active. By evening, your legs are swollen, and your rings are difficult to remove. You wake up in the morning already feeling worn out,» the specialist says.
Karasenko points out that after a month of this routine, a person may feel five years older. This isn’t «normal» — it’s a signal that it’s time to make a change.
