Back pain from sitting at a computer: tips for correct posture and workout

Author: Zuzana Kocáková

Lifestyle

10 reading minutes

Almost every person who has a sedentary job is familiar with back pain problems. Hours without movement, stiff muscles, incorrect sitting position or a poorly adjusted monitor. These are all causes of back pain. How to prevent these inconveniences and also possible serious health problems in the future? We asked the experts from the rehabilitation centre Fitclinic. They advised us exercises for the back that not only work, but also do not take long and their effects appear after just a few exercises.

Any activity that is done frequently and regularly ehausts our body. An exception is not even working at the computer. Although sitting is not physically strenuous, sedentary work can affect our bodies in a variety of ways. Especially during home office, we tend not to follow the principles of proper sitting. Not only our eyes suffer, but also our backs and hands. In cooperation with physiotherapy and rehabilitation specialists, we have therefore written down rules and exercises to prevent back pain and subsequent treatment.

Back pain as a warning signal

Back pain is often caused by sedentary jobs during which we sit incorrectly at a computer. However, we can get rid of the pain quite easily, all it takes is the determination to follow the principles of proper sitting. Learn to sit in the right position, keep your back straight when working at the computer and don’t forget to take a few minutes a day to do some simple exercises.

Not only will you avoid pain, but you can also get rid of it altogether. You can also help yourself with an ergonomic chair, medical aids such as a posture corrector or Pilates exercises. If the back pain persists after a long period of time despite proper sitting and exercise, there may be a more serious health problem. In that case, it is necessary to visit a specialist.

The basics are a straight back and proper sitting at the computer

It doesn’t matter if you’re walking down the street, driving a car, walking up the stairs to your apartment, holding a baby or just sitting at your computer. In all activities we should follow the basic rule – straight back.

✔️ You can also prevent neck and eye pain by adjusting your monitor correctly.

✔️ The top of the screen should be at the height of your head.

Back and cervical spine exercises

Not only the back, but also the neck, trapezius, forearms or wrists deserve relaxation. They are under the same pressure as our spine. How to do it? When relaxing the spine, we start in a sitting position. We sit with our backs on the edge of the chair so that we feel that we are sitting on the sit bones. We lean our palms on the lower back. The feet are placed full length on the ground below the level of the knees, not standing on tiptoes. “In this position, we bend backwards with our head tilted back as far as we can, hold it for two seconds and then hunch down a little. Repeat the exercise ten times,” experts advise.

✔️ We do the standing bend with our hands on the waist then slowly bend backwards.

✔️ We breathe in before the movement and breathe out during the movement.

There are two methods to exercise the nape. The first is standing, when we lower our shoulders and raise them together with the inhale. Stay in this position for about 20 seconds and slowly with an exhalation lower the shoulders to the starting position. “The important thing is that the release does not last shorter than the tension. Repeat this exercise five times in a row,” say physiotherapists.

✔️ We can also add our hands to the bend.

✔️ Just repeat the previous exercise, include the arms and if necessary complete the movement by bending over.

The second method is seated exercises: “We’ll slide one hand under the bottom. Tilt the head to the opposite side until the tension is felt. Place the palm of the other hand on the temple area on the opposite side of the head. With the inhale, press your head slightly into the palm of your hand and hold for 20 seconds. As we exhale, we lower the head again in the direction of the bow deeper to the next point of tension, where we stop.” It is good to repeat the exercises at least five times.

✔️ The neck and chest can also be exercised with the help of a towel.

✔️ Lean your head into it, point your elbows forward and slowly tilt your head back.

✔️ We breathe in before the movement and breathe out during the movement.

Shoulder and arm exercises

Although it doesn’t seem like it, shoulders or arms can also feel tension when you work sedentarily. Improper sitting can even lead to carpal tunnel syndrome. It is therefore important to exercise regularly. We start with the trapezius and end with the wrists. For a simple exercise, it is enough to turn one hand with the open palm down to one side and turn the head to the opposite side. Slowly push your hand down, and when you are in this position, start running your fingers slowly up and down the trapezius. “We apply medium pressure and remember to keep our backs in a stretched position at all times. We can repeat the exercises seven to eight times,” advise the experts from Fitclinic.

✔️ The so-called flexors of the forearm can also suffer from sedentary work.

✔️ We will excercise them by leaning on the table with our hands.

Do the same for the forearm. Extend the left hand in front of you, fingers pointing towards the floor, and use the right hand to increase the extension of the fingers by pressing them towards the body. Then switch hands and try to stay in the position for ten seconds. “In the second part of this exercise, we again extend the left arm, but bend the wrist so that the fingers point towards the sky. With the right hand, increase the angle by pulling the fingers towards the body.” Repeat the same with the other arm, hold for ten seconds and repeat the whole exercise four to five times.

✔️ We exercise the extensors of the forearm by stretching one hand with the other one while standing.

We should not forget about the wrists either. While standing lean back on the table so that both palms are touching the table, with fingers extended. “The exercise is to slowly push our hands into the table and relax them. We must not forget to keep a straight back here either. The shoulder blades should be pushed backwards and downwards,” physiotherapists explain the correct procedure. Repeat the exercise seven to eight times.

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Back pain from sitting at a computer: tips for correct posture and workout

Zuzana Kocáková

At msg life Slovakia I take care of the company culture, events and I am part of the marketing team. I like a job where I can be creative and contribute to making my colleagues at msg feel good. I regularly prepare for you not only news and interesting things from the world of information technology and insurance, but also from behind the scenes events at msg life Slovakia.