Combatting the Physical Toll of Office Work and Commuting: 17 Desk Stretches to Exercise at Work
Those who commute to work near or far find themselves in the same place. Sitting down at a desk, on the train, or in their car; sometimes for hours.
At Lymbr, one of the most common reasons our clients come in are muscle tightness and lower back pain from the stress of working an office job. Stiff necks from staring at computers, shoulders pulled forward by the chest and upper trapezius while hunched over a desk, tight calves and short hip flexors from long commutes, and aching backs from a compressed spine or poor hip posture from a lack of overall movement are just some of the afflictions we treat in our clientele.
From top to bottom, the musculoskeletal disorders caused by prolonged sitting have been widely studied and new desk stretches, exercises, and other practices continue to emerge to correct these imbalances.
Today, we’ll introduce you to some techniques you can use to alleviate aches and prevent future problems in your body to make working a little less of a pain in the you-know-where.
Improving Posture and Preventing Muscle Imbalances with Desk Stretches
Over time, sitting down at a desk without proper support or attention to spine posture can lead to certain muscle imbalances, poor posture, and even spinal injury. A muscle imbalance occurs when muscles on one side of your body are either stronger or weaker than the corresponding muscle on the other side.
An example seen too often is the rounded shoulder posture of people who sit in front of computers all day. An imbalance occurs between the overactive muscles in the front of the torso; the pectorals for example, which pull the arms and shoulders forward; and the weaker muscles of the upper back like the trapezius and rhomboids which are responsible for pulling together and holding the scapula (shoulder blades).
A combination of muscle-strengthening exercises and muscle-lengthening stretching can be used to correct this poor posture over time. The tighter muscles, in this case the pectorals, would need to be stretched regularly and the weaker muscles, the traps and rhomboids, would need to be strengthened to help them with their important work.
Let’s take a look at the stretching half of the problem with some simple desk stretches for your chest:
1.- Doorframe Pectoralis/Subscapularis Stretch video
2.- Corner Pectoralis Stretch
Correcting Muscle Imbalances: Desk Stretches for Upper Crossed Syndrome
The pectorals are only one of a group of muscles that, when overactive, contribute to a condition known as Upper Crossed Syndrome. This condition is characterized by muscle imbalances of the neck, shoulders, and upper back that can cause postural abnormalities such as forward head posture, thoracic hyperkyphosis, or protracted/elevated shoulders, sound familiar?
These muscle imbalances can develop over time when a person holds themselves in these abnormal positions for hours and days at a time, usually when sitting at a desk all day. Overactive or tight muscles that contribute to Upper Crossed Syndrome when overactive include:
- The upper trapezius, levator scapulae, sternocleidomastoid, suboccipitals, and scalenes located in and around the neck.
- The latissimus dorsi and teres major, are found on the back.
- The subscapularis, under the shoulder blade.
- The pectoralis major & minor muscles of the chest.
These muscles will need to be stretched to help correct shoulder and spine posture so let’s take a look at some desk stretches that target these areas:
3.- Upper Trapezius Neck Stretch
4.- Scalene Neck Stretch
5.- Levator Scapulae Stretch
6.- Suboccipital Stretch
7.- Latissimus & Teres Major stretch
8.- Kneeling Latissimus Stretch Variation
9.- Seated Teres Major Stretch
You can also perform the chest stretches introduced in the previous section.
Maintaining a Healthy Spine: Tips and Exercises
The head, neck, and shoulders aren’t the only things being weighed down at your desk. Sitting down for long periods, especially with poor posture, can cause your vertebral discs to compress and become strained. Over time, the wear and tear on these discs can cause them to pinch or rub against the nerves that run down and through your spine, causing pain.
The best ways to mitigate stress on the spine is to make sure your spine is in its natural curve when sitting and to also take frequent breaks from sitting. Do not let yourself remain stationary for more than two hours at most; a short walk or a quick stretch to get yourself out of your chair will help keep your spine healthier. A quick spine reset you can try anytime is this drill by world-renowned spine expert, Dr. Stuart McGill:
10.- Spine Hygiene
Stand up straight, raising your hands in the air. Hold for 10 seconds and then reach further back, holding for another 10 seconds while breathing deeply into your diaphragm.
This next movement is great for maintaining mobility in your spine and may be familiar to any yoga practitioners out there:
11.- Cat Cow Pose
Start on hands and knees on the floor. Shoulder blades stacked over wrists, hips over knees. Inhale while slowly extending the spine, pulling shoulder blades together, lifting the chest, and bringing the gaze forward. Then exhale, slowly flexing the spine, protracting shoulder blades, bringing chest in, and gaze downward.
Combatting the Effects of Prolonged Sitting: Desk Stretches for Muscle Relief
As mentioned before, the muscles in your body are responsible for maintaining your posture, good or bad, and will adapt accordingly to any stress (or lack thereof) that you encounter over time. In your core, around the hips, and down to your legs, muscles remain tight or stretched when sitting, and over time imbalances can develop which lead to the hip and spine being pulled in unsafe directions.
One common example is the psoas major, a muscle that connects the femur to the spine and contributes to the flexion of the hip joint. While sitting, this muscle is in a contracted state. The shortened muscle will pull on the lumbar vertebrae it attaches to, causing hyperlordosis of the lumbar spine. This excessive inward curve of the lumbar spine puts the intervertebral discs at risk for injury as discussed before.
The psoas major muscle is only one part of the group of muscles that comprise the hip flexor complex. These muscles and others can pull the pelvis into a tilt which, in turn, pulls on the spine. Do you see a pattern here? Let’s review some desk stretches that can relieve those muscles that shorten due to sitting:
12.- Kneeling hip flexor stretch, raise arm for progression
13.- Standing quadriceps (rectus femoris) stretch
14.- Kneeling Quadricep Stretch
15.- Edge of a seat hamstring stretch
16.- Lean against wall gastrocnemius & soleus stretch
17.- Back flexion from the chair for erector spinae
Building Healthy Habits: Starting Small with Stretching and Mobility
Knowing how to stretch is a good skill to have but it won’t be of much practical use unless they are put into action. One thing to keep in mind is, that while temporary relief may be found from a good stretch now and then, real improvement in range of motion and mobility won’t happen unless stretching occurs on an almost daily basis over at least two weeks or up to a month or more. Making a habit of stretching and getting up and moving more starts with simple goals and small steps.
We can start by referring to an article on habit-forming from the British Journal of General Practice:
- Decide on a goal for your health that you would like to accomplish; for example, stretching every day for one week.
- Choose a simple action that you can do daily. Doing one stretch for one muscle is an easy choice here.
- Plan where and when you’ll do this action. Pick a time and place you know you’ll find yourself every day. Perhaps you’ll decide to do this one stretch when you come back from having to use the restroom during work or just as you get up for a lunch break.
- Every time you encounter that time or place, do your simple action. You can set a reminder or alarm for yourself on a personal device for a specific time to help keep this in mind if needed.
Remember, start small and try to avoid setting vague or difficult goals. Instead of thinking to yourself, “I want to sit less and move more at work,” try saying, “I will stand up out of my chair and do one exercise for my spine every hour on the hour.” Instead of stating, “I will stretch every day for a month until I can do the splits!” try saying, “I will do three minutes of stretching every day for one week.” Accomplishing these small goals first can give you the boost to stay consistent and prevent you from becoming overwhelmed with drastic lifestyle changes or getting frustrated not accomplishing a tremendous goal.
If you find yourself suffering from low back pain, hip stiffness, or poor posture from sitting down at work every day, try some of the exercises and desk stretches shown here and see what feels best for you. Noticeable change will only show itself after a couple of weeks or a month; so try and use the habit-forming tools discussed to start improving your amount of movement each day until then.
Remaining sedentary will negatively affect your spine over time and your body will adapt to the shape you keep it in as well. So why not start putting those muscles to work instead of letting them languish in a chair and pull you down with them? Remember, any amount of movement is better than none, so even if you start with just standing up every hour, good work!
Try and use that small push to build momentum towards a healthier, stronger, and more comfortable lifestyle. And, if you are interested in getting deeper into stretching out any troublesome areas or would like to relax and have someone else take care of the stretching for you, consider booking an appointment at Lymbr today. You get 50% off your first visit.
About the Author
J.J. is a personal trainer and music teacher with a passion for education. He believes in consistent practice with a focus on proper technique. J.J. joined LYMBR to expand his knowledge in health & fitness and aims to help clients reach their health goals through stretching. He enjoys weightlifting, running, exploring Stamford, discovering new music, practicing instruments, and cooking.
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