As a significant portion of the workforce are in office jobs, there has also been a rise in a number of people experiencing back issues, among many other things. The reason? Well, one of the likely culprits is sitting down.

The thing is, the human body isn’t built to sit down for prolonged periods, and the risk of desk jobs puts us at serious risk for a number of health complications.

Below are some of the most common health complications that desk workers are at an increased risk for because of the nature of their job.

1. Back Issues

The majority of desk workers sit all day in front of a desk sitting on poorly designed seats. The result? Aches and pains in their lower back.

Taking regular breaks and standing up for a few seconds every thirty minutes or so can help limit the damage sitting down too much can do on the back. Also, taking up yoga can help as it helps strengthen the core muscles while also improving your posture. Finally, speaking of posture, try not to slouch or hunch when working – maintaining an ideal posture can significantly help reduce any aches and pains associated with sitting for too long.

Companies can benefit a lot from investing in high-quality chairs that help encourage a proper sitting position.

2. Heart Complications

The lack of physical activity can help encourage a sedentary and inactive lifestyle, which can put desk workers at a higher risk of developing heart conditions, including heart disease. The added risk factor of working in a stressful work environment also doesn’t help either.

If you can’t really do anything about being stuck behind the desk to make a living, you can at least try to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

Making it a point to exercise regularly, and to get at least eight hours of quality sleep at night, as well as eating right, can all help lower your risk for heart complications.

3. Stress

Because working in front of a desk can help encourage living a sedentary lifestyle, it can be hard for desk workers to maintain a good work-life balance.

Companies can help prevent this by encouraging their employees to do something productive in their spare time.

If you’re a desk worker, making an effort to do something physical every once in a while, or taking up a hobby that doesn’t include work, can do wonders for your mental health.

These are just some of the health risks associated with working a desk job and sitting for at least eight hours every day.

If you are part of the majority of today’s workforce, it’s important that you try to address these problems. Because, if not, your body and your quality of life will suffer from your lack of physical activity sooner or later.