Exercises that will help you combat bad posture problems generated by sitting for long hours in the office.
If you spend all day sitting in the office, you will surely ask yourself, why your posture when walking has changed and the muscles of your back and chest have lost strength, to make you look like the “Hunchback”, but don’t worry yet You are in time to correct this problem caused by the long hours without activity.
When sitting, the chest muscles are tightened, the spine is extended forward and the shoulders are turned inward, which weakens the muscles of the upper back and impairs posture, somewhat disastrous. But they are not the only problems, you could also experience terrible neck, lower back, arm and even leg pain.
These symptoms are associated with postural kyphosis disease, which is the development and growth of abnormally shaped bones. But do not be alarmed, because here we recommend a series of corrective exercises that will help you relieve pressure on the chest and strengthen the muscles of the upper back. You will look more like Superman and less like the Hunchback. Before starting any exercise be sure to go to your doctor.
1. Chest stretch
Stand on a door frame, extend your right arm until it touches the corner of the frame – so that your arm reaches shoulder height – lean your body forward until you feel the stretch on your chest and shoulder. Be sure to keep your arm in line with the plane of your shoulder as you complete the stretch, and alternate arm. Perform the exercise for 30 seconds and do 3 repetitions.
2. Compression of the chest with a massage ball
In addition to stretching, deep massage with a small ball can help restore flexibility to the chest muscles. Do not hesitate to take a tennis ball and with both hands press and massage on your chest, alternating with twists to the side of the chest. Do this little exercise 3 times, for 30 seconds on each pectoral.
3. Alignment and balancing
Like a car, our body also requires certain corrections in its structure, and this exercise will help you improve mobility of the spine and correct rounded shoulders.
Lying on your back, place a foam roller in the middle of your back, just below the shoulder blades. The knees should be bent and the feet firmly planted on the ground, the hands should be behind your head. Raise your hips and roll back and forth repeatedly.
The foam roller improves back stiffness, and although you may experience some pain and discomfort at first, over time the mobility of your upper back will improve. Do this exercise for 10 or 15 seconds with 3 repetitions and you will see that when you get up you will not feel the back like a knot.
4. Extension
This exercise is very basic. Lie on your stomach with your legs and arms extended and apart in a “Y” shape. In a coordinating motion, raise both limbs above your head and peel your torso off the floor a few inches. Hold the position for 5 or 10 seconds and then go down. Repeat 3 sets of 8 repetitions.
To complement the previous exercises and ensure long-term changes in your posture, it is essential that you become more aware of it when standing and sitting. It goes without saying that human beings are not trained to stay seated all day, so whenever you can, get up from your chair and stop by the office a little. And if you can’t flatly detach yourself from your place, remember that your forearms should form a 90-degree angle while writing, and your legs should form a 90-degree angle while sitting; keep your shoulders back as well as chest and head, thus avoiding the risks of poor posture.