Fatigue and back pain are common at the end of the workday. Many people who sit for hours with a laptop (and it doesn’t matter whether in the office or at home) face this. If your lower back is increasingly aching and your shoulder blades are numb, you can add a little more movement to your life. For example, set aside 15–20 minutes a day for simple back exercises.
Why is it important to stretch your back?
A sedentary lifestyle weakens the back muscles . The lower back compensates for this weakness. This is how muscle spasms occur – one of the most common causes of back pain. When there are spasms, the back muscles seem to be tightened and it is difficult to bend over. Exercises help prevent this.
In 85% of cases, back pain is not associated with serious diagnoses and injuries. A special term has even been coined for it: “non-specific pain.” Movement also helps with this type of pain; people with it are advised to be more active.
The exact causes of back pain can be difficult to pin down, but doctors have found a connection: People who sit in one place for hours often have back pain. This happens , for example, to truck drivers, construction workers and nurses. They are also advised to move regularly.
What back exercises will relieve tension and pain
Exercises You Can Do in the Office
These exercises were recommended by Mayo specialists. They will help out when your back is already aching, and the work day is not over yet. The advantage is that you do not need to lay down a mat and lie down on the floor. You can warm up without looking up from your Excel spreadsheet.
Seated Lumbar Stretch
The exercise is used in physiotherapy. It relieves lower back pain, strengthens the lumbar muscles and the core muscles (the group of muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis).
How to do:
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Sit on a chair or stool.
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Cross your right leg over your left.
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Rest your left elbow on your right knee, turn and stretch to the side. Hold for 10 seconds.
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Repeat the same on the other side.
Do the stretch three to five times on each side twice a day.
Scapular retraction
This exercise works the rhomboid muscles of the back. They move the shoulder blades and are responsible for a straight posture. Thanks to them, we can shrug our shoulders , pull ourselves up and put our hands behind our heads.
How to do:
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Sit on a chair or stool.
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Sitting up straight, bring your shoulder blades together.
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Hold for five seconds and then relax.
The exercise can be repeated three to five times twice a day (but it is important to focus on your own strength). It improves posture, relieves muscle tension and even reduces the risk of arthritis.
Exercises for home
American physical therapist Jennifer Fraboni showed these back exercises in her video. They relieve back pain after sitting for a long time. They are more convenient to do at home. You will need a fitness mat and a little time.
Lying prone body lift
The purpose of this exercise is to straighten your back, which has been hunched all day. With poor posture, the body balance is disrupted , the spine is overloaded, and the muscles are chronically overstrained. The exercise returns the back to a physiological position.
The exercise works the muscles of the back, lower back and (a little) the buttocks.
How to do:
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Lay down on a mat and lie on your stomach. Don’t push up on your feet (like you would in a push-up), just point your toes.
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Place your palms at shoulder level, elbows back. Your pelvic bones should be pressed to the floor.
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Slowly arch your back, stretching it and resting your hands on the floor. It is important that your hands do not do most of the work – distribute the load equally between them and your back. You can slightly tense your buttocks as you rise.
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As soon as you feel that your lower back has started working, return to the starting position.
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Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Lying down shoulder blade retraction
When we sit hunched over all day, our back is fixed in one position. This is fraught with muscle spasms. The exercise restores mobility to the upper back.
How to do:
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Lie down on the mat and stretch your arms out in front of you. Look at the floor.
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Raise your arms up, keeping them as straight as possible. Then bend them at the elbows and move them back, using your shoulder blades. Your chest may slightly lift off the floor, but your legs should remain on it.
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Smoothly stretch your back and neck (you still need to look down). Try to put your thumbs behind your ears.
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Stretch your arms out in front of you again and lower them to the floor to rest for a bit.
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Repeat the exercise 10 times.
Torso rotations on all fours
This exercise works the upper back. Its trick is that it is both active and passive: during the stretch and twist, the muscles work and then rest.
How to do:
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Get on all fours, rest your palms on the floor. If your wrists hurt, you can first roll up the mat and put your hands on the bend. This will reduce the load on the wrist.
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As you inhale, lean on one hand and lift the other up, moving it to the side and opening the chest.
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As you exhale, twist, lower your raised arm and pass it under your supporting arm. Your shoulder and head should touch the floor.
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Repeat the exercise five times on each side. It is important not to forget about breathing.
Standing Hamstring Stretch
The hamstrings are a group of muscles that attach to the pelvis and legs. They allow us to bend our knees and bend over. When the tendons are too tense, the lower back, knees, and shins hurt. But trained, flexible, and elongated tendons support the spine and prevent lower back pain.
How to do:
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Stand up and spread your legs slightly.
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Place your hands on your waist and lean your body forward slightly. Look ahead.
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Pull your butt back, keep your back straight, and your knees slightly bent (not straight, but not like a squat). Imagine that your pelvic bones touch your thighs. You should look like the letter “L”.
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Bend over until you feel a good stretch in the back of your thigh. Avoid rounding your lower back as you bend over—this is a common mistake when doing standing stretches.
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The exercise can be repeated five to ten times, but focus on your strength and feelings.
How else to help your back
Move more
Movement doesn’t always relieve pain, but it can often help prevent it. You don’t have to run marathons or even join a gym. You can start small: take breaks during work to go to the water cooler or talk to a colleague. It’s great if you can move every 30 minutes.
Swimming is considered one of the best sports for the back . Water reduces the load on the spine and joints. Therefore, any exercise in the pool or sea becomes safer.
Don’t slouch
Good posture is not always a guarantee of a healthy back. But it helps to get rid of headaches and muscle hypertonicity (which also causes back pain). So, if you sit in one place for a long time, do it correctly :
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Adjust the height of your chair or stool so that your feet are flat on the floor.
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Keep your knees at or below hip level. Do not cross your legs.
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Try to sit so that the back of the chair or stool supports your back. You can put a rolled-up towel or a small pillow under your lower back.
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Keep your head and neck straight and in line with your torso.
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Relax your shoulders. Keep your forearms parallel to the floor.
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Change your position more often.
Try a massage
Massage helps to relax , and sometimes also reduces pain in the shoulders and lower back. However, the effect is short-term and has not yet been sufficiently studied by researchers. If you still want to try it, it is best to look for a certified massage therapist and ask him about his education, experience and reviews.
Massage is generally safe , but some techniques have contraindications. For example, deep tissue massage may not be suitable for hernias and blood clotting disorders. Therefore, it is best to consult a doctor in advance. And in any case, remember that massage will not help to completely get rid of pain – it is good in complex therapy.