Eight hours in front of the monitor imperceptibly turn our posture into a “question mark”. Stiff shoulders, a tight neck and aching lower back are the price of sitting. But we have a solution! The main rule of our complex: you don’t need to change clothes, you don’t need sneakers, and you don’t have to lie down on the floor in the office. All exercises for the back in the office are performed
Eight hours in front of a monitor imperceptibly turn our posture into a “question mark”. Stiff shoulders, a tight neck and aching lower back are the price of sitting. But we have a solution! The main rule of our complex: you don’t need to change clothes, you don’t need sneakers, and you don’t have to lie down on the floor in the office. All exercises for the back in the office are performed right on your work chair.
Why does my back hurt from sitting at work?
Back pain from sedentary work is not accidental. Here are the three main enemies of your spine:
- Monitor below eye level: This forces you to constantly tilt your head forward, creating a tremendous strain on your cervical vertebrae.
- “Leg-to-leg” posture: leads to pelvic tilt and uneven load on the intervertebral discs.
- Hunched shoulders: The chest muscles contract, and the back muscles become overstretched and weakened, which makes it difficult to maintain an even posture.
5-minute complex right on the chair
This warm-up at work will take only 5 minutes. Perform each exercise for 60 seconds and you will see results in the first week, and if you continue to train like this, your back pain will go away on its own.
Chest opening:
Clasp your hands behind your back, straighten your elbows, and pull your shoulders back as far as possible, pushing your chest forward. Rub your right hand on top first, then the other way around, two or three times.
This stretches tight chest muscles and helps get rid of slouching.
“Cat-cow” sitting:
Place your hands on your knees; as you inhale, bend your lower back as much as possible, looking up (shown by the red arrow in the photo above), as you exhale, round your back as much as possible, pulling your chin to your chest (shown by the blue arrow in the photo).
Exercise restores flexibility to the spine and improves blood circulation in the discs .
Twisting to the sides:
Sitting straight, place your left hand on your right knee, and with your right hand, grasp the back of the chair and gently turn your body back in the direction of the right arrow; repeat the movement in the other direction in the blue arrow in the photo above.
Twisting relieves tension from the back extensor muscles and improves mobility.
Head tilts and neck stretches:
Slowly tilt your ear towards your shoulder following the red arrow in the photo, slightly helping yourself with your hand, hold for 15 seconds and change sides following the blue arrow in the photo.
These are ideal neck exercises for working at the computer that will relieve tension headaches.
Stretching the spine upwards:
Raise your arms above your head, clasp them together with your palms facing up, and reach up toward the ceiling as if you were trying to lift your body off the chair, as shown by the red arrow in the photo.
The exercise relieves the spine by creating space between the vertebrae.
The 90-degree rule: how to set up your workplace
To consolidate the result, check your landing using this checklist:
- Knee angle: Legs should be bent at a 90° angle, feet fully on the floor.
- Lower back support: Your back should be snug against the back of the chair.
- Screen at eye level: The center of the monitor should be directly in front of you so you don’t have to bend your neck.
- Arms: Elbows rest on the table or armrests at a 90° angle.
Secret life hack for results in a week
Want to learn how to improve your sitting posture in just 7 days? The secret is in regularity. Set your alarm for 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM .
These two 5-minute blocks will save your back. Muscle memory begins to form on the 7th day: you will notice that it has become easier for you to sit up straight, and evening fatigue in your shoulders has disappeared.
Bookmark this page now! Open it every day at 11:00 and warm up with us.
And what exercise did you do right while reading this article? Write in the comments, let’s stay healthy together!
