Long hours of inactivity and sitting work cause back and neck pain. But you can gain flexibility with very simple exercises.
The human body does not have a natural anatomical arrangement to sit for long periods of time. The body has been designed primarily for movement (walking, running, jumping…), as well as for resting at ground level.
A sedentary lifestyle and poor postural hygiene cause a loss of muscle flexibility that is accentuated over time because its effects are cumulative and difficult to perceive.
Recent studies reveal that 55% of people who work sitting have discomfort in the neck and shoulder area (43%), dorso-lumbar (46%) and head (16%).
A FLEXIBLE BACK MUSCULATURE WILL REDUCE YOUR PAIN
Performing tasks in sedentary postures is an effort for the central nervous system. An underutilized musculature loses flexibility because it only contracts and does not stretch.
The tension of the leg and hip muscles reduces the movement of the upper femur, and when mobility is restricted the lumbar and sacroiliac joints have to work, something for which they are not conditioned. The result is repetitive strain injuries and pain in the back and neck.
RECOVERING THE VITAL TONE
Using the chair to do yoga postures can restore the flexibility of the muscles, for example, thanks to the stretches that seek asanas such as Garudasana and Salamba Uttanasana, two good tools that relax and tone the central nervous system.
1. GARUDASANA
- Sit in a chair and keep your spine extended and your shoulders relaxed.
- Pass your left arm under your right and cross them at your elbows.
- Join your hands, ensuring that the fingers of the left hand are placed on the right palm.
- Deinterlace the arms and shake them gently.
- Repeat by changing arms.
2. SALAMBA UTTANASANA
- Put your feet on the floor apart from each other a little more than your hips.
- Relax your spine and drop your head to the ground with your arms touching the ground. Make sure that the rib cage rests between the legs.