Man was not created for sitting. Our ancestors were hard-working hikers, walking hunters or ploughing farmers. The way to school used to be kilometres long, now we don't even put our children in the school bus anymore, but in the car. After we have done this, many of us sit down in the office and change seats to sit in front of the television. In the long run, this will be on the back, because without training, there are no back muscles, and that is important to keep the function of the spine going.
Back pain is the number 1 among the common diseases, interestingly enough longer, more frequent and more intense in women than in men. More people in Europe go to the doctor for "back" than for high blood pressure or flu. However, almost 90% of back pain is "non-specific", i.e. no definite cause can be found, despite expensive and complex examinations.
Back pain: the preventable cause of costs
The damage caused by back pain can be expressed in economic figures, among other things: It costs almost 50 billion euros for the Germans alone. For many back pain patients, the suffering is due to lack of exercise. And new patient groups are being added: Meanwhile up to 60% of groups between 14 and 29 years suffer from such complaints. A whole generation of permanent residents is growing up in front of their home PCs. The rigid sitting in front of the PC is harmful. Without compensatory sport, the painful back is pre-programmed.
The BellyChair is actually not a chair, but a real piece of sports equipment. Sitting on it is something you have to train over a longer period of time. Initially, half an hour is a challenge – with sore muscles as a reward. Over time, the BellyChair trains the back muscles intensively due to the special posture and allows muscles to form that take over the support function of the back. This happens while you work. The large rollers allow the user to move freely. You use this very much, especially at the beginning. On this chair you do everything that physiotherapists like to see: Frequent changes in working posture and dynamic sitting positions. In addition, depending on the load, the legs also take over part of the sitting work. This automatically prevents tension and muscle cramps.
The height of the BellyChair can be adjusted and is therefore in touch with modern concepts such as the sit-stand dynamics. Of course, the BellyChair is nothing against lack of movement, but it can be a good tool against pain for the back.
For back pain, ask the doctor first
Of course, nobody always stands as they want to or sits correctly. The human being is also destined to let himself hang from time to time, to make a hump or hollow back or to sit at an angle in front of the PC. However, over time, these small malpositions add up to real problems. Tension in the back and headaches can, for example, limit the quality of life of people working in sedentary jobs. In the office at work, poor posture is extremely encouraged. Very often, the spine and the associated muscles are stressed on one side. The logical answer is to adopt a relieving posture in order to avoid the unpleasant feeling. However, the opposite is usually the case, because in the long run this can upset the entire supporting mantle of the spine.
Anyone who does not move enough is clearly a risk candidate. Because without compensatory sports, there would be no back and abdominal muscles to support the spine. Quite often a targeted back training can help. Of course, the topic "back" must be considered holistically. Every person is different. With strategies and methods for coping with stress and pain and relaxation methods, one can learn to counteract the psychological strain. The basic rule for severe back pain is: always go to the doctor first.