In predominantly sedentary activities, such as at the desk in the office, a one-sided, collapsed and rounded posture is often adopted, which can lead to postural problems and back pain over a longer period of time. In the long run, the shoulder, neck and back muscles as well as the abdominal muscles can deteriorate and negatively influence the unfavorable posture. For these reasons, it is particularly useful in professions with predominantly sedentary work to incorporate posture improvement exercises at the desk into the daily routine.
Exercises: shoulder/neck
Rowing exercise Opening the thoracic spine Stretching the entire spine Hacking movements Further exercises and information can be found in the articles:
- Starting position: broad-legged seat on an office chair, the upper body is tilted approx. 45° forward, the back and neck remain straight
- Execution: bend both elbows and let the arms sink slightly forward and down, then pull the elbows backward and the shoulder blades towards the spine, be careful not to pull the shoulders towards the ears, keep them low, repeat the exercise 15 to 20 times in 3 sets
- Starting position: sitting upright on the office chair, arms extended 90° to the sides and palms facing forward
- Execution: move both arms in small circular movements back and forth, do not let the arms sink below 90°, perform the movement for about 30 seconds, then take a short break and repeat this 3 times
- Starting position: sitting upright on the office chair, both arms stretched upwards
- Execution: alternately stretch one side and reach with the respective hand far up, 30 repetitions per side
- Starting position: sit on an office chair with your legs apart, tilt your upper body forward and stretch both arms forward, palms facing each other
- Execution: perform small chopping movements up and down with the arms, repeat this for 30 seconds in 3 sets, take care to avoid a hollow back
- Exercises at the workplace
- Sitting correctly
All articles in this series:
