Low Back Exercise For Computer Users
If you work at a computer all day then you know how difficult lower back pain can be. You back becomes sore and stiff if you don’t get up once in awhile to stretch and move around. It is impossible to maintain perfect posture all day long while you are working so you need to take action to prevent back pain from getting worse. The best way to do that is by doing a lower back exercise, particularly the standing forward bend.
The standing forward bend strengthens the entire back and hamstrings but is especially good for the lower back. Have you ever gotten up from a long stretch at the computer and not had some sort of back pain? If not, you should start taking care of your back now before you wind up with serious back problems as you get older. The standing forward bend has other benefits too. It encourages proper neck alignment, helps overcome poor posture while sitting and helps to relieve your sore tailbone.
To do the standing forward bend, stand up with your feet beside each other. Exhale while you bend down from your hip joints. Do what feels natural and relaxed to you. This yoga exercise is more advanced than it may seem and as your back becomes more flexible you will be able to bend lower. You can do this exercise anywhere, even at work since all you need is standing room to do it.
While eventually you may be able to put your hands flat on the floor, there are many individuals who won’t be able to do the more advanced versions. The advanced version requires a lot of warming up. The version I’ll show you here can be done immediately without extra warmup, so it is ideal for doing occasionally during the day. The best thing is a complete posture program, but this will help a lot, too. Slow and relaxed are the best way to do it. Here are the instructions for a version anyone can do:
- Stand straight with your feet hips’ width apart
- Place hands on hips
- Keep your knees straight and drop your upper body forward towards the ground
- Let your arms hang straight down towards the floor
- Relax and breathe
- Remain in this position for one minute
- Roll back up to standing. Your head should roll up last
Throughout the exercise, pay attention to any points of tension that you may have. The mere act of body awareness will bring relief to the tense areas. This is a wonderful property of attention: it can calm many discomforts in the body.
This easy version of the standing forward bend is great for relieving tension in your entire back but especially your lower back that gets abused from long periods of sitting. By doing this exercise you will relax your back muscles and get the relief you need to eliminate low back pain and keep your productivity level high.
However, it’s important to understand that your best option is making this a part of your daily routine. Only you know what you need to do to add this to your daily schedule, but we recommend before bed, when you wake up in the morning, or a couple times a day during your break times (especially your lunch break). This will not only relieve the pain you’re experiencing now, but also prevent it from returning.
Lower back pain is an aggravation to deal with. You may be able to get temporary relief by taking medications but there is a better way to deal with it. Posture exercises are natural and can provide a long term solution. You can relieve your muscle tension, become more flexible and gain peace of mind that comes with freedom from chronic pain.
