Currently, millions of people are working from home and suffering from backaches and shoulder pains.
With over 20 years experience in helping people become pain-free, I have put together my top 5 exercises to correct posture and my 5 top stretches to help neck, shoulder and back pain, along with a FREE Stretch workout from my website for you to try at home.
When working at a desk all day your shoulders round forward, this is known as kyphosis and can lead to a humpback, when sat at your desk you will also shorten the muscles in your hips known as hip flexors and strain your lower back from the weight of your head and shoulders being pulled forward creating lower back pain.
If you cross your legs you may then go onto develop hip pain or twisting of the pelvis, eventually all leading to chronic BACK PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN OR NECK PAIN.
When working at a desk all day your shoulders round forward, this is known as kyphosis and can lead to a humpback, when sat at your desk you will also shorten the muscles in your hips known as hip flexors and strain your lower back from the weight of your head and shoulders being pulled forward creating lower back pain.
If you cross your legs you may then go onto develop hip pain or twisting of the pelvis, eventually all leading to chronic BACK PAIN, SHOULDER PAIN OR NECK PAIN.
TOP 5 EXERCISES TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE
#1 Bent over Row -
To try and strengthen the muscles in the back and open up through the chest and shoulders you can perform a single-arm row with dumbbells, bands or kettlebells.
You support yourself on one leg or you can use a bench or a chair.
Let the arm hang down, then pull the shoulder back and down lifting the elbow up and pulling the weight towards the ribs, feel the shoulder blade move back, then lower back down under control.
#2 Lat pulldown -
Using a gym machine or a resistance band over a door frame at home you can perform a Lat pull-down.
Take your hands wider than your shoulders, lean back and lookup.
Pull the band or the bar out and down towards the chest, whilst puffing the chest up towards the bar or band, squeezing the elbows down and back feel the shoulder blades move back and down until bar or bands reaches the chest or armpits.
#3 Rotator Raise -
Shoulder mobility will be compromised if you hunched over all day or are developing kyphosis, so to try and open up your shoulders you can do a rotator raise with light weights working on your range of movement.
Start with the elbows out to the side at 90 degrees then rotate up and back as far as you can opening up the shoulders, keeping the elbows at 90 degrees then lower back down under control.
#4 Rear Delt Flys -
You can do these on a machine with cables, bands or dumbbells, at varying angles but just doing the movement will improve your posture.
If we use cables as an example. Standing with the back straight and the abdominals braced have the cable set at chest height, hold onto opposite cables so the arms are crossed then pull them out to the side with straight arms in front of the chest until the arms are back in line with the shoulders. This will strengthen the posterior deltoids, stretch the chest and anterior deltoids and improve your posture.
#5 Face Pulls -
This exercise will really allow you to open up the shoulders, stretch the chest and engage the middle back muscles.
Use a cable or resistance band and place it just above your head, move back until you take the resistance from the weight or band and then pull towards your nose keeping the elbows high and pulling in and up as far as you can squeezing into the middle of your back.
The shoulder blades should squeeze together without hunching the neck.
TOP 5 STRETCHES TO IMPROVE YOUR POSTURE
#1 Lower back release -
When you have been sat at a desk all day this is a great stretch to release your lower back. Lie on your back with your arms wide like a crucifix.
Lift your feet off the floor to 90 degrees you can rest them on a Swiss ball if you have one, then lower the legs to one side, if your not using a Swiss ball extend your bottom leg out to straight and then use the opposite hand to pull the leg across the body keeping the opposite shoulder pressed into the floor until you can feel the stretch in your lower to mid-back.
If you using a Swiss ball keep both arms pinned to the floor and roll the ball from side to side opening up the lower back.
#2 Side to side lower back stretch
I love this stretch as it makes your back feel so good, you start in child's pose sitting on your heels with your arms extended in front of you, take both arms over to the right-hand side with the right hand at the bottom left hand on top as far round as you can so you bend your spine like a Banana and then shift your weight into the left ankle until you feel a massive stretch down the left side of your back and then repeat to the left-hand side to stretch the right-hand side of your back, this will open out all way through your mid to lower back.
# 3 Thoracic spine mobilizations -
This is a tough stretch but feels great after. Place your hands on a wall with the arms out straight above your head, then drop the chest down keeping the arms straight and at the same time push the heart forward and feel the chest and shoulders open and the middle back will mobilize.
#4 Spiderman Lunges
When the hips get tight they can cause the back to tighten up, this great exercise will open up the hips.
Start with your arms under your shoulders in a plank, step the right foot to the right hand making sure the foot is right by the hand to pull it forward if you need too, press the back heel (left) away from you until you feel a stretch in the (left) back hip flexor, you may also feel a stretch in the front hip too.
#5 Trap shoulder circles
When you sit at a desk all day your posture will become kyphotic (rounded shoulders) so this mobility exercise will open those tight shoulders and improve posture. Lie on your front with your head down and arms above your head, then lift the arms off the floor keeping them straight and circle them around your body until they touch your bottom trying not to let the hands touch the floor at all, then repeat noticing any tight spots and working through them until they loosen off.
Try this 60 minute stretch workout at the end off a long week to open and stretch you out
For more information or a personalized stretch routine or advice on any aspect of health, fitness or nutrition contact me
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There are loads more great workouts and more on my website GOODLUCK