A lot of young adults suffer from neck and upper back pain. These patients note that the symptoms are not from a certain injury but they have just gotten worse over time. The culprit for this condition is sitting at work. We all lead a life devoid of physical activity. Long hours are spent at work in a slouched posture and the majority of the time is spent in a seated position. However, it does not mean if you sit at the desk all day, you are destined to have pain. Here are some tips to reduce strain and prevent pain while sitting at work all day.
Stretch
often
One
of the easiest and first exercises you need to do is simply stretch and do it
as often as you can. It will reduce strain on the muscles in your upper back
and neck and it is also one of the most effective exercises that any individual
can do to help reduce neck pain and stiffness. If you sit at a desk all day, Vivian Au from TherapydiaDC.com
says it’s important to stretch often and strengthen your core and shoulders to
improve posture. All you need to do is sit up straight and tilt your head to
one side, use your hand to pull your head further to the side which will
increase the amount of stretch. Hold for half a minute and repeat on the other
side.
Strengthen
the shoulders
When
you sit in a slouched position with your shoulders rounded forward, it will put
the muscles attached to your shoulder blade on a stretch. Hence, by sitting in
this position for long hours, the stretched position will cause the muscles to
weaken. You need to strengthen your shoulder and the muscles will help you keep the right
position. It will also ward off any sort of imbalances between the
muscles and the upper traps on your shoulder blades.
Adjust
the work station
There
are numerous adjustments you need to make to improve the posture and reduce
strain throughout the workday. You need to check if it is possible to raise the
computer monitor to an eye level. When you raise the height of the computer, it
will help eliminate the amount of time you spend looking down and will reduce stress on
the neck. It is also a good idea to lower the mouse and the keyboard so
that the shoulders are relaxed while working. Keep your feet flat on the floor
to reduce strain on your lower back. If you are working on a laptop, you need
to keep your head level and focus your eyes downward to look at the
screen.
Get
up and move
The
easiest way to deal with muscle stiffness is to get up and move around. You do
not need to take a long break, simply stand up and stretch for a couple of
seconds and walk a few steps. This will make a huge difference to your posture
throughout the day.
You
can also set a timer every one hour or thirty minutes to stand up and walk
around or stretch for a bit.
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