If getting up at 6 am and then spending all day stuck under hideous fluorescent lighting wasn’t bad enough, it seems there’s yet another reason to despise your office job.
The term ‘office chair butt’ is currently doing the rounds on social media, and it’s sending women into absolute meltdown.
For those who haven’t heard of it, it’s all to do with the impact sitting down at your desk all day has on your body – specifically, in this case, on your butt.
While the idea might not be brand new, it’s fair to say some are only just discovering it, and it’s sending many people on TikTok into absolute meltdown.
In response to a clip about it shared by @katiearbonn, several women complained their jobs have given them a flat backside, while others claimed they’d quit their jobs after discovering the impact sitting down for too long can have.
But is the office chair butt actually real? And if so, what can you do about it? Here’s everything you need to know…
What is office chair butt?
Essentially, it’s a tongue-in-cheek way of describing the weakening of muscle or loss of muscle in the bum, caused by prolonged periods of sitting down and pressure being put on the glutes.
On TikTok, this has spawned a trend of people showing off flat backsides, and many are claiming the best way to combat this is to simply do some squats. But is that really the case?
Is office chair butt real?
Dr Suzanne Wylie, a GP and medical advisor for IQdoctor, tells Metro that while office chair butt is a real thing in terms of the way our bodies respond to long periods of sitting, the phrase itself isn’t medically recognised.
She explains: ‘The phrase itself isn’t a medical diagnosis, but it captures a real experience that many people have when they spend most of their working day sat down: muscles, including those in the bottom, can feel weak or inactive compared with people who are more physically active, and some people notice changes in how their clothes feel or how their body looks simply because the gluteal muscles aren’t being used as much as they would be with more movement.
‘From a physiological point of view, the gluteal muscles, which make up the shape of the buttocks, are designed for movement, standing, walking and stabilising the hips and lower back.
‘If you sit for most of the day without getting up to walk around or change position, those muscles aren’t doing very much, and over time they can become less toned or weaker compared with someone who moves frequently. That can contribute to discomfort in the lower back or hips, tightness in surrounding muscles and a feeling that the shape of your bottom has changed, even if there hasn’t been a significant change in body fat.’
Dr Wylie continues: ‘There’s also the fact that being sedentary for long periods is associated with wider health concerns, such as reduced cardiovascular fitness and increased risk of metabolic conditions, though sitting itself is just one part of lifestyle.’
So what can you do about it?
How to combat office chair butt
Dr Dan Ginader, a sports physical therapist from New York, claims many people are experiencing office chair butt because of their sedentary lifestyle – going from sitting at a desk all day on the computer, to sitting on the sofa at home doomscrolling all evening.
He explains in a video online that the only way to do anything about it is to become more active during the day.
‘If you happen to have the means, the best way to make that happen would probably be to get a standing desk. Throughout the day I normally suggest sitting and working for 30 to 45 minutes and then standing and working for 30 to 45 minutes,’ he tells viewers.
If you can’t get a standing desk, Dr. Dan encourages people to get a little more creative during the day.
‘At the top of every hour make sure you’re standing at least once and maybe mix in some air squats,’ he continues. ‘If you really want to focus on that office chair butt, you could always mix in some office chair hip thrusts.’
Dr Wylie also recommends making a few simple changes to your workday – perhaps standing up ot take phone calls, walking over to a colleague’s desk instead of emailing them, or doing a short loop around the office during break times.
The expert adds: ‘It’s important to be kind to yourself too, because social media often exaggerates concerns and suggests we should be anxious about every minor change.
‘If someone is experiencing pain, numbness or other symptoms that affect daily life, then it’s sensible to talk to a healthcare professional for individual advice, but for most people the best approach is to break up long periods of sitting with movement, look after overall physical activity levels and not let a trend on TikTok cause undue stress about something that can be addressed with common sense and gradual changes to daily habits.’
Have you heard of ‘office chair butt’ before?
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What does the NHS say?
And it’s not just your bum that will be impacted by sitting all day, as the NHS has also stressed the importance of sitting down less for general health and wellbeing.
In a post on the NHS website, it states that there have been various studies that show links between being inactive and conditions such as being overweight and obese, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and early death.
The website reads: ‘There is increasing evidence that, unless you are a wheelchair user, sitting down too much can be a risk to your health.
‘To reduce our risk of ill health from inactivity, we are advised to exercise regularly, at least 150 minutes a week, and reduce sitting time.
‘Sitting for long periods is thought to slow the metabolism, which affects the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and break down body fat.
‘Many adults in the UK spend around 9 hours a day sitting. This includes watching TV, using a computer, reading, doing homework, travelling by car, bus, or train, but does not include sleeping.’
There’s currently not enough evidence to set an official time limit on how much time people should sit during the day, but in other countries, there are recommendations to limit children’s screen time to one to two hours in order to reduce the amount of time spent sitting down.
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