You’ve been staring a your screen for a few hours and you start noticing it… that tightness in your neck. It’s not extremely painful, but it’s nagging you – and mostly, it’s keeping you from staying focused on the task at hand. You try to ignore the tension that’s building up in your shoulders and keep going.
Same story the next day.
And the next day.
Until that tightness turns into intense muscle pain. Then you make a call to your local massage therapist to loosen up your neck and shoulders and finally get some relief.
Poor Posture and Muscular Tension
Nowadays, we sit crouched in front of our computers for extended periods of time. Our poor posture, exacerbated by a forward head position to look closer at the screen, leads to shoulder tension, head and neck tension, and pain. One way to lessen muscular tension at work is to maintain a good posture.
Easy to say. Not so easy to do, and maintain!
In order to keep a neutral spine, make sure you are sitting upright with your spine erect and your head centered between your shoulders. Notice if your head is leaning to the side or forward. It can be tough to know if your head is in the right position; try to imagine your head is like a balloon filled with helium that wants to float up to the sky.
Doesn’t that feel much better?
It might take a few weeks for you to get used to that new posture. You can achieve that by simply reminding yourself to go back to a neutral spine and head position as soon as you notice your head moving forward towards your computer or phone.
Stretching at the office
Chance are, you already feel some sort of pain due to your office posture. That means you probably need some relief right away. Here are some of our favorite stretches that will help you feel better in just a few minutes.
Front Neck Stretch – Sternocleidomastoid
- Bring your hands to the base of your neck and press down gently.
- Tilt your head back until you feel a slight stretch.
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat 1-3 times.
Front Neck Stretch (Head Tilted Sideways) – Anterior Scalenes
- Bring your hands to the base of your collarbone. Press down gently on the bone.
- Tilt your head in the opposite direction until you feel a slight stretch.
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on the other side. You may repeat 1-3 times.
Side Neck Stretch – Upper Trapezius
- Bring your hand to the top of your head. Gently pull your head down towards your shoulder. Make sure your shoulder doesn’t hitch up.
- (Optional) Sit on your opposite hand or reach down for a deeper stretch.
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds. Repeat on the other side. You may repeat 1-3 times.
Back Neck Stretch – Cervical Extensors
- Bring both hands to the top of your head. Gently pull your head down in front of you. Make sure not to round up your back at this point.
- Apply a gently pressure on your head until you feel a stretch at the base of your neck/upper back.
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds.
Chest Stretch – Pectorals
- Open up your chest by bringing your arms away from your body.
- Gently squeeze your shoulder blades together and move your elbows and hands backward.
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds.
**BONUS**
CARPAL TUNNEL EXERCISE
If you find yourself feeling pain, numbness, and tingling in the hand and arm, you might have carpal tunnel syndrome. It means that your nerves are squeezed or compressed at the wrist. Take the habit of doing this exercise every hour to give your nerves the mobility they need to stay healthy.
You can do this other stretch as well. Hold 30 seconds on each side.
Finally, don’t forget to get up and move around the office every hour to get that nice blood flowing!
If you feel like working from home or in the office is making you feel stiff and out of shape, send us an email to schedule a 360 Lifestyle Habits and Routine Analysis with our coaches. Whether you would benefit most from the help of a nutrition, training or lifestyle coach, we have the team that will teach you how to capitalize on your gifts and relentlessly work on your biggest challenges.