Living a sedentary life is one of the worst things you can do for your health. But what happens when your lifestyle compels you to spend hours pouring over a computer when you are in a desk job. You can’t exactly leave your job but what you can do is to neutralize the extremely bad impact such a condition has on your body.
Sitting all day can be detrimental to health in more ways than one. It can result in poor blood circulation especially in the legs. The biggest problem in sitting all day is your poor posture which invariably becomes a bad habit even though you don’t realize it. This affects your back and is the biggest reason for your back pain. Moreover, it can cause back cramps, taut muscles and pain.
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While a great back massage is a luxury, you may not have time for it but if you do have the urge to relieve those taut muscles in your back and be relaxed, then these five effective back stretches based on the best stretching routines will make you feel great after you’re done. In fact, once you finish you will feel that you have had a relaxing and rejuvenating back massage. It provides relief from all the back tension and most of all lower back pain which affects millions of people worldwide. The best part of these exercises is that you do them all sitting on your chair.
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This targets the posture, spine and neck bones. It also corrects your posture and improves blood circulation. To start, you need to sit on a chair’s edge and keep your back straight. Your feet should be on the floor at least shoulder width apart.
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The butterfly wings exercise is based on an easier version of Yoga poses called Bhujangasan and Dhanrassan. Place your hands behind your head. Now your elbows should be bent and arms locked behind the neck. Push the elbows as far back as possible. While extending your arms inhale and push your chest forward. Now exhale and resume the initial position. Now arch your back by pushing your chest inwards. This will stretch your muscles gently. If you feel any unusual pain during this exercise, stop it immediately. Repeat the exercise five times.
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This exercise relieves low back pain and corrects the position of the lumbar vertebrae which is affected when sitting to long and in a bad posture. Sit on the chair with back straight and place your arms on your knees.
While moving your shoulders back gently inhale and stretch your chest outwards as if trying to get your shoulder blades to touch. If they do then well and good. However, try not to lift your shoulder blades. Now exhale and make your back in a rounded position by moving your shoulders forward. Your neck should be curled towards your chest. Do this 8 times.
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This exercise targets low back pain and even improves digestion. While sitting on a chair, keep your back straight with feet placed firmly on the floor.
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While straightening your spine, inhale. Now while exhaling twist your upper torso towards the back of the chair. Keep the core of your body strong and firm while doing so. Now with hands on the chair and without rounding your shoulders, remain in the position for at least 30 seconds and breathe deeply five times. Now change the position. Do three reps.
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This exercise improves your blood circulation and stretches your chest muscles and obliques. To start, again you need to sit on a chair that has an upright back.
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Keep your right hand placed firmly beneath the chair for support. Now raise your right arm above you and move your left shoulder downwards while your raised arm bends or stretches sideways over your head. Don’t do it fast but perform the stretch gently. Don’t lean your body back or forward and keep it straight at all times. Repeat ten times for each side.
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This exercise is great for relaxing your feet, your glutes and also stretches the lower back. Sit on a chair that has a straight back and place your right ankle on your left knee.
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Move your body forward by stretching it. You need to feel the stretch while making your stomach touch your hips. You can touch one hip at a time and while doing so you will feel your back being stretched. Keep a straight back and maintain the position for half a minute. Breathe deeply five times and then change to the other leg. Repeat three times for each leg.
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Although this isn’t conventional for an office, you could do it if you have your own room. But this is best done at home in the morning. Lie on your back to start with and draw your knees up to your stomach and do it gently. A more effective way will be to move one leg up, bend it and hold it, then move the other leg similarly and hold both legs. The exercise is a perfect back stretch that relieves tension in the lower back and glutes. It is the most effective way to manage back pain.
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While holding the right knee, straighten the left leg and place it slowly onto the ground, hold the position for half a minute, then come back to the starting position and perform the move with the other leg. Do this at least 6 to 8 times each leg.
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Another big advantage of this exercise according to yoga is digestion, relief from low back pain and relief from gastric problems. It is called the yoga Apanasana pose. All you need to do is maintain the starting position with your knees held firmly to your abdomen for at least 30 seconds and release.
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