With most of us spending more and more time at home these days, it’s safe to say that our normal routines have been more than a bit thrown off. With the inability to get to the gym, and with many of us working from countertops or non-ergonomic spaces, we’re seeing more and more work-from-home injuries.
But we have good news-adding some simple stretches into your day can help combat stress, tension and injuries caused from over-sitting or a poor workspace environment.
Give these tips a try!
1. Be conscious of your posture. If you’re working from home and not using an ergonomic chair, chances are you’re slouching your back, shoulders or both. You want to keep both feet planted on the ground in front of you and have your monitor at eye level to reduce strain in your neck.
2. Alternate between sitting and standing. This allows different muscles to fire and not get too complacent or relaxed. It’s a good idea to get up and move every hour as well-if you can’t take a walk outside, go for a quick walk around the room.
3. Sitting for a long period of time compresses our muscles and joints. If you don’t have a foam roller, consider investing in one. You can lay on it lengthwise to open up your spine. Add a pillow to support your head and take a few deep breaths in and out. This will help reverse the stress on your back.
4. Release your hip flexors. Over-sitting can wreak havoc on this area of the body. A great stretch for your hips is the ‘warrior’ post popular in yoga as well as pigeon pose. Another option is to lie down on your back while in bed and pull on knee up to your chest as the other leg falls down on the side of the mattress. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat.
5. Another common complaint is shoulder tightness. If you’re feeling tight, stretch your pecs by creating two 90-degree angles with your arms in a doorway and gently relaxing into it. Hold this for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
6. Contact us for a visit. If you’re noticing stress, tension or aches in your neck, back or shoulders, it could be from an injury sustained from poor workplace posture. We’re proud to offer a variety of chiropractic techniques as well as physical therapy completely custom to you.
Need Extra Help? We’re Here for You
If you’re dealing with pain or injury, we’d love to help you overcome it with focused chiropractic care or physical therapy-at your appointment, we’ll let you know what can bring you the best results, quickly.