Healthy back on the job: practical exercises for in between

Back pain is already part of everyday life for many people, because sitting at a desk for long and monotonous periods doesn’t exactly have a positive effect on the back and muscles. To keep the back fit and healthy, it needs a daily exercise program. But who feels like slaving away in the gym after a long day at work? No one. Yet there is a solution to the problem. Simply integrate the workout into your work. We’ll tell you how it works.

Fit at work – an easy workout for in-between times

Daily workout directly at the workplace does not cost much time and keeps the back fit and healthy. A few exercises strengthen the back muscles, improve posture and enhance overall physical well-being. However, these exercises only help if you do them every day. The few minutes, however, you should invest in any case. Many exercises can be done directly at the desk or at the so-called “standing desk“.

Workout directly at the desk – this is how it works properly

To ensure that nothing goes wrong during a workout at the desk, all muscles must first be activated. This is how you prevent unpleasant strains. To activate the muscles, stand with your back to a free wall and press your whole body against it for half a minute. While doing this, the abdominal muscles, as well as the back muscles should be tense and the shoulders should be straight. Simply repeat the exercise several times to activate the muscles.

Then it’s straight on to simple but effective exercises:

For the first exercise, simply stand upright at the standing desk, shoulders straight and legs chest-width apart. Then press the palms of your hands in front of your chest and squeeze them tightly together for about 15 seconds. Then release.

Exercise number two also requires you to stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and upright. Then extend your arms and open your chest, keeping your palms facing the ceiling. Then move the arms up and down slightly for 15 seconds, like a gentle spring.

Exercise number three involves stretching the body. To do this, place your legs hip-width apart and position one foot a little further back so that the tip of the foot stands up a little, but the upper body remains straight. Then stretch one arm down along the body and the other arm up. One palm should be facing the floor and one facing the ceiling.

Exercise four is for loosening the hips. Simply stand hip-width apart, raise your right arm above your head, and then with your left wrist, grasp your right and tilt your upper body slightly to the side until you feel a slight stretch.

Finally, here is an exercise that you can do directly against the wall. To do this, stand with your right shoulder facing the wall and step forward with your right leg at the same time. Then stretch the right arm back along the wall while the palm of the hand presses against the wall. The hand should always be placed below the shoulder during this exercise.

You can also combine these five exercises into an entire workout program. All exercises should generally be held between 10 and 30 seconds and repeated two to three times. Always take short breaks in between and breathe calmly.

Tension in the back – these exercises help

Stretching can show great results with a tense back. Many of these stretching exercises can be done right at the office chair and help relieve tension. Even some kind of self-massage with a fascia roller can work wonders after several hours of monotonous sitting at the computer.

Think about your office furniture as well

While these exercises will certainly help you, also remember to have your office furniture adjusted to your individual needs. Whether that’s the height of your monitor or the spacing of your desk, there are many benefits to having an ergonomically adjusted workstation. Not only do you work more effectively, but you also stay fit.