Is it any wonder why in times like this, back pain has become familiar for so many? Lack of exercise can lead to stiffness, weakness, and worsened pain.
With so many of us working from home and online, spending hours hunched over a computer, phone, or steering wheel, these all cause the muscles in the front of your pelvic area to shorten and tighten.
It’s our daily habits that commonly cause lower back issues - the ones you likely do often: When the hip flexor muscles are contracted in a seated position, those muscle fibres start to shorten, pulling the pelvis forward and pushing the lower back out of alignment. Translation: weaker and achier back muscles.
Let’s admit it, having low back pain is no fun, especially when you wake up in the morning with it, knowing that you have a full day at work ahead of you. That is why we believe that every morning you should spend a few minutes stretching out the most important and most engaged muscles in the lower back.
Correct exercises can help heal your back. Strong core muscles reduce stress on your spine.
Strong core muscles—which include your abdomen, lower back, pelvic, and even hip muscles—help support and stabilise your spine. This reduces the pressure on your spinal discs, soft tissues, and joints, which in turn may bring relief from your lower back pain.
Stretching helps maintain mobility and better posture.
Gentle stretches that target the cervical spine and thoracic spine may help with neck and/or upper back pain, as well as improve range of motion. If you tend to slouch or have hunched shoulders with forward head posture, take breaks from sitting throughout your work day to stand and to mobilise your upper back. One option for this is to place a foam roller horizontally on the upper part of your chair and against your upper back, then extend backward over the foam roller while keeping your abdominals engaged. (You can also perform this exercise with the foam roller on the ground.)
Some lower back conditions can benefit from daily hamstring stretches, which can also reduce nerve tension and relieve pain.
Performing Method Putkisto daily stretches can help you loosen your muscles and improve your flexibility, making your body more resilient and better able to handle a full day at your desk.
Come and join Marja’s online A Strong & Mobile Back 6 week course.
Starts Monday 28th February 2022. Find our more HERE
© Method Putkisto
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