Sitting is a sport

Do our muscles work when we sit at the desk?

Muscles certainly don't work as hard as they do during sports. But to say that sitting requires no effort is false.

Indeed, we're always told to keep our backs straight while sitting, but our backs naturally round when we stop thinking about it after a minute. Even if we force ourselves to stay upright for a longer period, our back muscles may start to tire within half an hour.

The same is true for those who read with their head bent down for hours or type on the computer under stress with tense shoulders; their neck muscles may start to burn.

Our body is heavy, and it's our muscles that allow us to maintain an upright position and not collapse under the pull of gravity. For as many hours as we remain seated at the desk, our muscles must stay contracted without a break. Same story the next day, and the day after, all the while ignoring the signs of muscle fatigue until the muscles are burnt-out.

This is the typical scenario of a neck and back pain out of the blue.

So yes, office work requires STRONG muscles!