Who can relate to a sore back and neck from sitting at your desk or in class ALL day? Recent Studies have shown that bending your head and shoulders forward whether on your phone or computer can increase the pressure on your neck and upper back by up to 60lbs.
In fact, I would be willing to bet at least some of you are slumped in your chair, shoulders rolled forward, head protruding towards the screen as you are reading this. Over-time our bodies will start to assume this problematic and abnormal position. Our muscles begin to change and shorten or lengthen, leading to permanent postural changes.. Imagine walking around with a 60lb weight around your neck all day. This will of course eventually lead to pain.
So What Can You Do To Prevent This?
First thing’s first.. Get up and move periodically through out the day. I recommend every hour or so getting up and talking a brief walk to the water cooler. Our body learns positions and movements through muscle memory; just as you would learn to ride a bicycle your body can also learn to “slump.” However, much like learning how to ride a bike this often requires repetition, so getting up and breaking that slumped postural cycle will help to keep more permanent problems away.
Try these 3 great exercises periodically throughout the day:
These will help aid in decreasing tension in the upper back and neck. If you are already in pain, chances are you will need a bit more help. Chiropractic Physicians specialize in restoring joint movement and re-establishing balance to muscles!
As always, please consult your physician before beginning any new exercise routine. I urge everyone who feels their posture needs some TLC to stop in for a check-up before the problem leads to pain.