“Office chair butt” is the latest workplace wellness concern—but there’s a solution

People on TikTok are warning others against “office chair butt.” Simply put, office chair butt is the flattened rear end that results from sitting at a desk all day. According to doctors, office chair butt refers to gluteal atrophy and muscle loss. It can happen to people who work jobs that require them to sit for eight or more hours, especially if they aren’t getting to the gym outside office hours.

“The chair hardly sees me anymore.”

@dan.paulaa shared her routine for keeping a round, strong butt despite her work environment. The Feb 26 video is captioned, “Just found out about the office chair butt and I refuse to be a victim.”

“I will not fail my glutes,” she said.

The routine includes squats, lunges, and standing leg lifts, all done at her work station. The TikToker commented that she does the routine “every 45 minutes.” People in the comments said she’s looking good.

@dan.paulaa I wil not fail my glutes #gymtok #fitness ♬ EoO – Bad Bunny

@chrisswings1 commented, “Lucky chair 😳.” @dan.paulaa replied, “The chair hardly sees me anymore.”

“Immediately got out of my chair rn.”

This creator does squats to combat office chair butt

@itskenyaxst motivated social media to combat office chair butt in an April 2 post captioned, “Nothing is worse than office chair booty 😂😂😂.” The TikTok creator shared that she does 25 squats every time she goes to the bathroom. She added that she’s eating healthier, and she’s committed to the struggle.

@itskenyaxst
Nothing is worse than office chair booty 😂😂😂
♬ original sound – Mr Saint

Commenters appreciated the simple tip. “Such a good idea ♥️♥️Thank you.”

There’s only one thing that’ll help: exercise

People were worried about this last summer too. @dr.tommymartin shared his tips for preventing office chair butt in a TikTok post from August 2024 that has 2.6 million views.

In his video Dr. Tommy Martin said to skip chairs and cushions that claim to magically cure office chair butt and advised people with sedentary jobs to get up and move. “There’s only one thing that can help,” he said, “If you are looking to prevent atrophy and muscle loss, the only thing you can do is find a way to become more active during the day.” He said that if you must buy something, a standing desk can encourage physical activity throughout the day and take pressure off the glutes.

@dr.tommymartin How to prevent office chair butt?!? Great video by @Dr. Dan, DPT #officechair #officechairbutt #medical #doctorrracts ♬ original sound – Tommy Martin M.D.

@lizziepie13 commented with a tip for the office worker looking for a flat stomach, “This is why I just lay down all day 😂.”