What is ‘office chair butt’? TikTok’s viral term for a real health problem

Rather than the Sunday scaries or toxic bosses, employees have unlocked a new workplace fear: office chair butt.

While not a new concern, the term has resurfaced on TikTok to describe how sitting for long stretches affects the look of your behind—what medical professionals call atrophy of your gluteal muscle group.

“A lack of conditioning in your gluteus maximus and surrounding tissue leads to weakness, making it build up fat tissue and appear flatter or saggy,” occupational therapist Michael Milicia told the Cleveland Clinic.

And it’s not just an aesthetic issue. Other symptoms of “office chair butt” can include poor posture, lower back pain, and limited mobility over time. There’s a reason researchers have dubbed sitting “the new smoking,” linking chronic sitting to serious health problems including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.

Now, the term has gone viral on TikTok. And they’re not taking it sitting down.

“I refuse to be a victim,” posted one TikTok user, showing the routine of squats, lunges, and standing leg lifts she performs at her desk. “I don’t think you’re in danger,” one person commented.

“No office chair butt for us,” another user posted, leading her coworkers through a series of exercises. The video quickly inspired others: “Just saw this while at work and immediately put my desk to standing,” read one comment.

Since most workplaces don’t come with a fully equipped gym, employees have gotten creative. Some use the office escalator as a makeshift StairMaster. One video shows an employee swapping out traditional weights for a water cooler while performing Bulgarian split squats. “Me every 30 minutes when I find out what office chair butt is,” another TikTok user wrote, running up and down stairs and doing laps around a conference room.

@krystinamaysonet

I REFUSE TO FALL VICTIM! sooo it’s actually a thing, I was legit shook. You won’t catch me sitting during a shift again 😭 #officelife #gymtok #officechair #playboycarti #fypシ #parati #lilyachty #future #glutesworkout

♬ som original – Trap Music Fun

If you’re reading this: Give me 10 squats. Stat.

https://www.fastcompany.com/91355743/what-is-office-chair-butt-tiktoks-viral-term-for-a-real-health-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss

Établi 2mo | 20 juin 2025, 16:10:07


Connectez-vous pour ajouter un commentaire

Autres messages de ce groupe

This scrappy developer is bringing back what millions loved about Trello

For all the many features it’s been lobbing into the world lately, Trello hasn’t given its most dedicated fans the one thing many of them crave most—and that’s a ticket back in t

2 sept. 2025, 06:40:07 | Fast company - tech
How I took control of my email address with a custom domain

Over the past three years, I’ve changed email providers three times without ever changing email addresses.

That’s because my address is entirely under my control. Instead of relying on a

1 sept. 2025, 14:30:04 | Fast company - tech
This viral grocery hack will help you save money and reduce waste

If you dread the weekly grocery shop, or get sidetracked by fun snacks only to end up with no real meals, this might be the hack for you.

The 5-4-3-2-1 method gives shoppers like you a s

31 août 2025, 13:10:02 | Fast company - tech
Do Trump’s tariffs mean you’ll pay more for the iPhone 17 next month?

If 2025 is the year of anything, it is the year of the tariff. Ever since President Trump unleashed his

30 août 2025, 11:30:07 | Fast company - tech
This simple free service makes sharing PDFs painless

Look, I’m not gonna lie to ya’: I’ve got a bit of a love-hate relationship with PDFs. And, more often than not, it veers mostly toward the “hate” side of that spectrum.

Don’t get m

30 août 2025, 11:30:04 | Fast company - tech
Palantir is mapping government data. What it means for governance

When the U.S. government signs contracts with private technology companies, the fine print rarely reaches the public. Palantir Technologies, however, has at

30 août 2025, 09:10:09 | Fast company - tech
‘The New York Times’ paywalled the Mini Crossword and the internet is in shambles

Bad news for morning routines everywhere: The New York Times has put its Mini Crossword behind a paywall.

On Tuesday, instead of their usual puzzle, players were met with a paywall. The

29 août 2025, 19:20:05 | Fast company - tech