The cause of a hunched body/back can be several factors. However, the main factor is the influence of an unhealthy lifestyle. Often, people need to realize that daily habits can influence the formation of body posture.
For example, when working in the office or at home. Sitting too much, especially hunched over, makes your waist or back feel sore and painful and also triggers your body posture to become bent.
This condition can be experienced by anyone, even those young and susceptible to stooping. So that you don't slouch when you have to sit for a long time, you should find the solution to the causes of a hunched body/back below.
Read The Dangers of Sitting for Too Long While Working and How to Prevent It
Causes of a bent body/back
Hunchback is a condition when the spine in the upper back bends excessively. In the medical world, this condition is known as kyphosis. The upper back or thoracic region of the spine has a slight natural curve.
However, in the case of kyphosis, the curve occurs more excessively than usual. The cause of a hunched body/back occurs due to several factors, but most often, it is caused by poor body posture when sitting for a long time.
Someone who sits for a shorter time tends to pay less attention to their sitting position. Most sit in a hunched position. The impact of this condition is only sometimes visible because the effects are long-term.
Apart from sitting for too long, causes of a hunched body/back include:
- Slightly stooped gait
- The habit of carrying weight on the shoulders
- Carrying a bag that is too heavy
- Rarely exercise
Read 8 Recommended Sitting Position in Front of The Computer
The effects of slouched sitting on health
After knowing one of the causes of a hunched body/back, now is the time to discover the effects of hunched sitting on health.
1. Changing the spine
The most prominent effect of sitting hunched over is a change in the curve of the spine. The human spine, which has a natural shape, should be well maintained. However, because you get used to sitting in the wrong position, you will end up with your spine in an unnatural position.
These changes cause long-term pain and prevent balance in the spine.
2. Disrupts digestion
Continuously sitting in the wrong position causes a hunched body/back and triggers digestive problems. A bent spine blocks the digestive organs, inhibiting normal digestive function.
If this is the case, you can experience constipation, breathing problems, tightness in the chest, and high blood pressure.
3. Fat accumulation
Poor digestion will also cause fat to accumulate. The effect is that blood pressure increases and cholesterol levels become abnormal.
4. Causes depression
Poor sitting posture harms mood. If the cause of this hunched body/back is not immediately resolved, then it can happen over a long period and cause depression.
5. Triggers fatigue
This symptom is most often felt due to sitting in the wrong position. Holding the body in an inappropriate position requires a lot of energy, which causes respiratory capacity to decrease by up to 30 percent.
This is why people sitting hunched over in the wrong position for a long time complain of feeling tired after getting up.
6. Triggers chronic back pain
Being the cause of a hunched body/back, sitting in the wrong posture can have worse consequences than you currently think. The reason is that this position can trigger chronic back pain and joint disc degeneration.
7. Increases cardiovascular problems
A study shows that sitting for a long time in an inappropriate position can increase the potential for cardiovascular problems. You can experience this increase by as much as 147 percent without hesitation.
Read Ergonomic Sitting Positions and Their Impact on Health
How to avoid slouching when sitting for too long
Sitting for too long in the wrong posture can significantly reduce body health. Therefore, immediately address the cause of the bent body/back so that you can avoid health problems that could occur.
So, how do you avoid slouching when sitting for a long time? Here's the review.
1. Pay attention to the position of your legs when sitting
It is essential to pay attention to your body posture when sitting. Whether posing for a short or long time, sitting in the correct position will prevent slouching. For this reason, it is necessary to understand that the position of the feet when sitting must be flat on the floor.
Avoid crossing your legs because it can cause problems related to body posture and make the body sore more easily when working. Use a comfortable footrest so you can rest your feet when needed.
2. Fits the right chair
Minimize the causes of a bent body/back with the right work chair. Choose an ergonomic work chair. This type of office chair is designed with features that can maintain ideal body posture, thereby ensuring user comfort.
Features ergonomic in this chair include a headrest and armrests that can be adjusted in position, a backrest that can be adjusted to suit the user's spine, a chair height that can be adjusted in height, and a soft seat cushion.
Ensure you use an ergonomic work chair to reduce the risk of back pain.
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3. Pay attention to the computer screen and keyboard position
For those of you who spend a lot of time in front of a laptop or computer, pay attention to the computer screen and keyboard position when working. The reason is that distances and positions too far or close can cause a bent body/back.
For this reason, make sure the monitor screen is at eye level and the screen is directed directly in front of you. Meanwhile, to measure the monitor's distance, you can do this by placing the monitor about one arm away.
The keyboard position must also be placed in front of us when typing. Leave four to six inches at the front of the desk so your wrists don't get tired quickly when ordering.
4. Do exercise
To avoid the causes of a hunched body/back, do movements to improve body posture. You can do yoga, pilates, and core muscle resistance training (core workout), such as single leg extensions, crunches, sit-ups, roll-ups, crossovers, or back extensions.
This exercise is perfect for maintaining body posture. Do at least 15 minutes daily and extend the time if you get used to it to 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Pay attention to the sleeping position
Apart from the method above, this method is also considered essential to prevent the body from becoming bent. Try to sleep in a position that maintains the curve in the back, such as supine with a pillow under your knees or lower back and on your side with your knees slightly bent.
Avoid sleeping on your side with your knees pulled to your chest or stomach because this can cause tension in your back muscles.
That is a discussion of the causes of a hunched body/back and solutions to avoid it. Start paying attention to your sitting position to maintain your ideal body posture!