Stuck Sitting? Try These Desk Stretches!
With work from home life in full swing, we might notice some more aches and pains from being glued in front of our computer all week. This can compromise the energy and movement we have at the gym for our workouts, affect our sleep, and put us at risk of injury if not addressed. Luckily, there are simple fixes you can do in the next 5 minutes to alleviate these problems. If you’re stuck sitting all day and feeling it, try these desk stretches!
Modify
If you spend most of the time at your desk, doesn’t it deserve the most optimal setup? Here are some quick ergonomic fixes you can do with the least amount of effort.
Place your screen at eye level, the top ¾ of your screen should be at eye level. This avoids any undue neck strain
Rest your feet flat on the floor. This helps to support your overall sitting posture.
Back pain can stem from a lack of lumbar support in your chair. Try adding a pillow to the base of your chair to provide some back support.
Stretch
Some common places we tend to hold our tension after a long day at the desk are our shoulders, neck, and back. Here are some stretches to alleviate tension in those areas
The upper trap can cause a combination of neck and shoulder pain. Try this exercise. At your chair right now, sit on the hand of the same side as the tight shoulder you are trying to stretch. Tilt your opposite ear to the opposite shoulder and breathe into the stretch. Hold for 30-60 seconds.
2. Neck
If you frequently get headaches, the cause of that could be coming from a muscle called your suboccipitals. When these muscles get tight, they can radiate pain up our head. Try this self-massage to alleviate symptoms
3. Back
If you get pain in between your shoulder blades after being rounded over the desk all day, this one's for you. The rhomboids and middle trap can get compromised when we don’t have great posture at our desks and form tender spots called trigger points. Using a simple household item like a tennis ball can make all the difference
Move
The most helpful part of making sure you are future-proofing yourself from the effects of sitting at your desk all day, is as simple as getting up and moving. I know it sounds so intuitive, but it can make all the difference. We weren’t built to sit over our computers all day, so get up to walk around your home at least once an hour.
Sitting at our desk for long periods of time is unfortunately our new reality. However, using these simple tools to make your setup more ergonomic and supplementing that with movement and stretches can put you in a more successful position.
If you are interested in a more in-depth movement screen to create a plan that specifically addresses your needs, schedule a Physical Therapy Evaluation with Ankita Roy at Pittsburgh Fitness Project. You can contact her at ankitadpt22@gmail.com