Healthy Back Day is celebrated annually on 15 March and aims to inform, educate and help those affected by back pain.
Back Pain, a Common Condition
Back pain, who didn’t have it before? It is usually caused by bad posture or lack of exercise. Even small changes in everyday life and in the environment can help to alleviate and prevent back pain. For example, lifting heavy objects in a back-friendly way, a suitable mattress or a correctly adjusted office chair can work wonders. And they can also counteract chronic back pain.
Quick Tips Against Back Pain
Get up from your desk regularly and walk a few steps. For example, get a coffee or tea in between, stretch your arms or walk up and down while talking on the phone. Height-adjustable desks also help to relieve the strain on the back and support the muscles in the office or home office.
Goodbye Back Pain, Helpful Exercises
Especially in the office, people sit too much and often for several hours at a time without moving. This is the most common cause of back pain. Regular movement and small exercises, on the other hand, can significantly alleviate or even prevent pain.
Perhaps you can also encourage your colleagues to join in. After all, it’s even more fun when there are two of you.
Below, we show you five exercises that you can do at any time and almost unnoticed at your workplace, and which only take a few minutes.
- Head Turn
In this exercise, place your hands relaxed on your thighs. Slowly turn your head to the right, lift your chin and inhale. Exhaling, bend your head straight ahead and forward. On the next inhale, turn your head to the left and again lift your chin. - Muscle Press
Sit up straight on the chair and place your hands on top of each other behind your back. Tense your abdominal and gluteal muscles, pressing your hands against the back of the chair. Inhale as you do this. While exhaling, release the pressure and relax the muscles. - Rotate Shoulders
Let your arms hang loosely down. Bring your shoulders forward. Lift them and move them backwards in a circle. Inhale as you do this. Now drop your shoulders and exhale as you do so.
Do this exercise both forwards and backwards. - Abdominals
Sit upright on the front edge of your office chair and place your legs on the floor at a right angle. Lean your upper body slightly and straight backwards. Be careful not to create a hollow back. Extend your arms straight out in front and alternately move them up and down. - Neck Stretch
Sit upright on the front of your chair and place your chin towards your chest. If the tension is not enough, you can increase it with your hands. To do this, interlace your hands and slowly increase the pressure on the back of your head in a controlled manner. You will feel a slight pull from the back of your neck into your back. Make sure that your breathing is calm and continuous.