Working from home has never been easy. When the coronavirus hit the world, millions of workers globally were confined to their homes for the foreseeable future, many without the necessary equipment like ergonomic desks, keyboards or office chairs to help protect their bodies from the everyday stresses and strains of work.
As a result, home-working setups have been less than ideal on our bodies! Sitting on the sofa, at the dining table, or even your bed can cause a few physical aches and sprains in the short-term (remember that time you had a sore neck for a week? It’s most likely down to bad posture).
However, studies have shown that working from home and sitting uncomfortably for long periods of time can cause anything from repetitive strain injuries (RSI) and carpal tunnel syndrome to seriously debilitating skeletomuscular injuries and deep vein thrombosis. While standing desks are an option, these can be very expensive and difficult to install in a small home office.
This article is perfect for you if you are working from home, experiencing aches and pains in your spine, neck or shoulders as a result of your posture, and need some gentle exercises to correct your posture and help soothe aching muscles.
Here at Chiropractic Wellness Centre, we have compiled our five favourite stretches and exercises to keep you limbre and pain-free during lockdown. All the exercises below are derived from yoga stretches and are designed to be gentle, suitable for all fitness and activity levels, and easy to do whether you’re working, on break, or even in the middle of a phone call!
_________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 1: Lower back extensions
This helps by: Stretching your lower back and shoulder muscles
How long does this stretch take: 30 seconds
How often should I do this stretch: 5 repetitions every hour
Instructions:
-
- Stand up straight with your feet together and facing forward.
- Place your arms at your sides, and turn your thumbs outwards.
- Raise your arms in a circular motion above your head so that your palms are facing together.
- Reach towards the ceiling until you feel a stretch in your stomach muscles (obliques). Hold this pose for 3 seconds before slowly returning your arms to your sides.
- Repeat this another 4 times.
Exercise 2: 2×2 neck stretches
This helps by: Easing tension in your neck, reducing headaches and upper back tension
How long does this stretch take: 10-30 seconds each way
How often should I do this stretch: 5 times every hour
Instructions:
-
- Sit up straight in a chair with your feet together and facing straight ahead.
- Position 1 – let your head fall forward a little towards your chest, before extending your head back as far as you can. Hold this pose for 5 seconds, then return back to the original position. Do this twice more.
- Position 2 – turn your head to the left as far as it will go, then hold for 3 seconds before returning to the centre. Then, repeat the step turning your head to the right, before returning again to the centre. Repeat these steps twice more, before moving to position 3.
- Position 3 – tilt your head towards your left shoulder as far as you can, holding for 3 seconds before returning to an upright position. Do the same head tilt towards your right shoulder. Repeat this step twice.
Exercise 3: Upper back and arm stretch
This helps: Release tension in your upper back and shoulders
How long does this stretch take: 10-30 seconds
How often should I do this stretch: Twice a day
Instructions:
-
- Hold your hands together with your palms facing outwards, and interlock your fingers.
- Push both of your arms upwards, and hold this pose for up to 30 seconds.
- Return to your original position, then repeat this stretch again twice.
Exercise 4: Shoulder shrugs
This helps: Release tension in your shoulders, and improve posture
How long does this stretch take: 10-30 seconds
How often should I do this stretch: Twice a day
Instructions:
-
- Slowly counting to three and breathing inwards, gently lift your shoulders up towards your ears.
- Hold this position for another three seconds, holding your breath.
- Slowly counting to three, lower your shoulders to their original position. Breathe out calmly as your shoulders drop.
- Repeat the steps above twice more.
Exercise 5: Trunk rotations
This helps: Release tension in your lower back, spine and hips
How long does this stretch take: 10-30 seconds
How often should I do this stretch: Once a day
Instructions:
-
- Sit up straight in a chair with your feet together and facing forward.
- Rest one arm on the back of your chair.
- Breathing deeply, twist your upper body in the direction of the arm resting on the chair.
- Hold this pose for 10-30 seconds, before returning back to your original position.
- Repeat the steps above with your other arm in the opposite direction.