Why Sitting Down for Long Periods of Time can Cause Lower Abdominal Problems

There are two causal effects of prolonged sitting on your lower abdomen. One, sitting down for long periods of time can cause lower abdominal problems. Two, if you already have a lower abdominal problem, prolonged sitting may make the symptoms worse and you experience more pain. Let us quickly understand the human anatomy and how sitting affects the organs in the lower abdomen.

Anatomy of Lower Abdomen:

Lower abdomen in humans comprises the large and small intestines, appendix, sigmoid colon, caecum, rectum, urinary bladder, urethra, ureter, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, prostate and spermatic cord. There are of course bones, muscles and nerves, arteries, lymph nodes and blood vessels. The lower abdomen has a direct connection with testicles and scrotum.

Common Lower Abdominal Problems:

There are innumerable types of lower abdominal problems, some of which are correlated while others are not. You may suffer from appendicitis, pelvic inflammatory disease, bladder infection, menstrual pain, irritable bowel syndrome, ectopic pregnancy, endometriosis, urinary tract infection, diverticulitis, fibroid, stones in the lower ureter, polycystic ovarian syndrome, constipation, bloating, celiac disease, bowel polyps, ulcerative colitis, premenstrual syndrome, pelvic pain syndrome, pelvic congestion and Crohn's disease among others.

Adverse Effects of Prolonged Sitting:

There are many adverse effects of prolonged sitting. Let us specifically talk about the effects on lower abdomen. One of the first effects is the loss of strength in your core muscles. Most people sit in a posture that does not make any use of the core muscles. This will eventually lead to severe weakening of these muscles. Hence, these muscles will be vulnerable to injury, strain, cramp and stress. Usually, this is the least common cause of lower abdominal problems as weakened muscles don’t necessarily cause any pain.

The main problem stems from the fact that your entire gastrointestinal tract fails to facilitate the natural movement of foods and fluids. Peristalsis is the involuntary movement that facilitates the downward flow of food through our esophagus to the stomach, down through the small intestine and up, across and down the large intestine, eventually leading to the formation of stool which is then stored in the rectum. If foods and fluids are unable to move through the digestive tract or the entire gastrointestinal tract at a natural pace, then it would not be digested properly, the discarded components will not be processed and extracted to form stool and basically the whole system will malfunction.

Prolonged sitting impairs the normal functioning of most of the organs in the lower abdomen. Foods and fluids move at a glacial pace. The body does not metabolize its intakes and hence this impacts the function of the liver, pancreas and kidneys. There could be problems in the duodenum, small or large intestine, maybe both and in the excretory organs.

Remedies for Lower Abdominal Problems:

Since the cause or facilitating factor is prolonged sitting, the first remedy is to avoid a sedentary lifestyle. Exercise regularly and try to break your routine into spells of sitting, standing and walking. You should also alter your diet. Go for an organic diet and eat as much veggies, lean proteins, fruits that are not too sweet and healthy carbohydrates.