What's happened "office butt"? Experts explain

“Office chair butt” is a new term that is being talked about more and more online. It refers to the loss of muscle volume and change in shape of the buttocks. What do doctors say about it?

Experts say that Low mobility can lead to loss of muscle volume. So, sedentary work can cause the formation of “office worker's buttocks”?

As Evan Johnson, director of outpatient physical therapy at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, said in a commentary publication Health, the recently popular term “office chair butt” does not have a real medical meaning or a corresponding scientific terminology. At the same time, the specialist notes, Sitting in one place for a long time can actually affect the health of the large gluteal, or piriformis, muscle. And Andrew Bach, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, says:

“Sitting in a chair for hours, days, weeks and years can cause our buttocks to be neglected, causing them to lose their appearance and muscle mass.”

A sedentary lifestyle makes it impossible for many parts of the body to work, including the gluteal, deltoid, pectoral, and hamstring muscles. Over time, this can lead to their weakening and accumulation of fatty tissue. Johnson says “office worker butt” can appear when the body's muscle mass begins to decrease:

“Sitting on [седалищной] muscle all day and not exercising, you risk losing muscle tone and, ultimately, shape. This can lead to a flat butt or a change in the density of the buttocks.”

Andrew Bach adds that excessive sitting can also cause the muscles to tighten or tighten, which can also change the appearance of the buttocks. Evan Johnson says that sitting for long periods of time generally doesn't directly harm the gluteal muscles. However, their weakness can cause other health problems over time, including causing excessive tension in other muscles in the hips and back.

In theory, sitting for long periods of time could put a lot of pressure on the gluteal muscles, but the expert says this is “quite rare.” Johnson “reassures”:

“The good news is that a person typically changes their position and weight placement every few minutes, usually without even thinking about it.”

If pain occurs while sitting, it could be due to dead buttock syndrome, or sciatic amnesia, a condition that causes one of the three main muscles in the buttocks to fail to contract properly. In this case, the person will feel numbness, tingling, and pain.warns Andrew Bach and recommends that you always consult with your doctor.

Meanwhile, in the English-speaking segment of social networks, it has gained popularity. a trend in which participants share exercises that they believe will help avoid “office worker buttocks” – a deformity of the large gluteal muscles. TikTok users say that the gluteal muscles are under constant pressure due to the sedentary lifestyle that many modern people lead, when they spend the day in an office chair and the evening on a soft sofa. As a result, the buttocks allegedly atrophy and change their shape.

Girls and young women are talking about squats and other exercises they do in the middle of the workday to prevent what they consider to be this terrible problem. Some websites are even offering chairs that can save your buttocks. Is it necessary to treat the buttocks of an office worker?

According to Andrew Bach, Some consequences of prolonged sitting, such as muscle weakness or poor posture, do require professional medical attention.:

“Sitting for long periods of time often results in back or neck pain. Switching to desk work or a sedentary lifestyle causes pain in many of my patients. However, this does not apply to the phenomenon of “office worker's buttocks.”

So what can you do to prevent “office chair butt”? Physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Andrew Bach warns that People of older and middle age are at greater risk of developing office worker's buttocks:

“At this age, we tend to lose muscle flexibility and tone if we don't exercise.”

You can prevent the appearance of an “office butt” by staying active and regularly engaging your glutes throughout the day.:

• walk the dog,
• climb the stairs in the office,
• get up from your work place from time to time.

A special high desk that allows you to stand while working can also come in handy. You can also try to squeeze your glutes or lift your legs every 15 minutes at your desk. As Evan Johnson says, doing specific exercises outside the office correctly, such as squats, will help keep your muscles healthy. He emphasizes:

“However, each person has only his own characteristic features of body shape and size. The goal [упражнений] is to promote good health, self-esteem and fitness.”

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