Back pain is one of the most common health complaints. This article in the Huffington Post puts back pain as the 3rd most common reason for doctor's visits in the United States. Hmmm, could it be because we sit so much? Try this experiment... Turn your left palm up and place your right index finger on the index finger on your left hand. Gently pull down. This "stretch" might actually feel good at first, but imagine holding this for an hour? 2 hours? 4 hours? Even after a few minutes you may notice a sensation in your forearm, neck, shoulders. Do you feel that? So think about sitting for a long period of time. Think about sitting for a long period of time with poor posture. What do you think that is doing to your body? Maybe you've experienced lower back pain? Neck pain? Shoulder pain? Headaches? Eye sensitivity from staring at a screen? And now check out what your legs are doing. How about your hips? Are the squared or are you shifting to one side? By checking in with our daily habits and tendencies, we can slowly begin to correct the imbalances to create balance while practicing self-care.
The picture above indicates what happens to your body when you sit too long.
How about the pic below?
Here are some helpful tools to keep your body happy.
1. Set reminders on your phone to stand up, stretch or go for a quick walk into another room every hour.
2. Put a Post It on your computer to get up and move.
3. Take 3 deep breaths with your spine tall, eyes closed and feet grounded on the floor.
4. Do a seated Figure 4 stretch at your desk.
5. Do some gentle neck and shoulder rolls and a seated twist.
Here are 12 other great stretches recommended by Web MD you can do at your desk.