Fifty per cent of Aussie workers sit down for their job and experts say back problems caused by poor postures, are now a serious health concern.

Cynthia Taylu reports.

TRANSCRIPT

One in two Australians are spending 55% of their working day seated.

That’s approximately 22 hours every week.

And health experts say it’s having major effects on workers.

Sam Brown, All About Movement Osteopath: “Long term though, it can create more significant conditions, like significant muscle strain and may start causing wear and tearing of the vertebrate.”

It’s estimated 70 to 90 per cent of the public will suffer from lower back pain at some point during their lives.

Andrew McWilliam, Accredited Exercising Physiologist: “Sitting is actually the new smoking. They correlate sitting with just as bad for your health as smoking.”

Although more and more Australian workers are exercising regularly.

Doctors say it’s still not good enough. They would like to see everyone up and on their feet.

In fact they say we should get up and move every 20 minutes.

And workers agree.

Vox Pop: “My type of work does require a lot of sitting, so I do find that I need to move around during the day, so i don’t get back pain.”

Vox Pop:”We all need to realise that we move. I think once we get behind our desks we tend to sit there..getting up, moving around makes an enormous difference.”

Next month is National Safe Work Month and Australians will be encouraged to incorporate simple movements into their working day to reduce the risk of developing a chronic pain problem.

Cynthia Taylu, QUT News.