Doing small exercises during working hours to ensure that your back is sufficiently moved is particularly useful in the long term. We recently presented four back exercise lessons that can be wonderfully integrated into everyday work. Getting up from Office chair is the first step. The following four are more for home, because they require attitudes that can be roughly described as “not workplace compliant”. The first one starts with you lying down... We hope you have fun and good luck Back health!
- Constant dripping wears away the stone
- First exercise: free swimmer on dry land
- Second exercise: beetles on their backs
- Third exercise: ski jump
- Fourth exercise: Fly like Superman!
Constant dripping wears away the stone
As with office exercises, it's the regularity that matters and not the number of repetitions. If you find it difficult to repeat the back exercises as often as indicated, just do half of them - and train once more a day. The worst thing for your back is not so much a sedentary job, but rather the lack of balance: a good three quarters of all Germans say that they have back problems at least once a year. In many cases, the causes are not skeletal diseases, but rather muscle tension or even hardening that can be traced back to inadequate exercise.
If you don't have time for regular exercise, you should at least integrate small back exercises and lots of physical variety into your everyday life. Occupational health experts speak of the 50/25/25 percent formula: half of the working time should be spent sitting, a quarter standing and a quarter moving. Apart from relaxation exercises for the office and the health-promoting benefits of a solid staircase compared to regular use of the lift, it can't hurt to create some space for back-friendly training even after work. As with all sporting activities, do not provoke pain, but stop immediately if an exercise causes any discomfort. If you are not sure whether you should do one or another exercise because of a diagnosis, ask your doctor. This topic includes training sessions that require virtually no equipment other than a floor - and perhaps a mat or blanket.
First exercise: free swimmer on dry land
Relax with a few slow steps around the room. Then lie flat on your stomach. A blanket or yoga mat doesn't hurt at this point, but it's not a requirement either. So you lie flat on your stomach with your arms and legs stretched out. Now lift your left arm and right leg a little at the same time. Keep your gaze on the floor and hold this position for between 15 and 30 seconds. Then switch sides and repeat the exercise five times.
Second exercise: beetles on their backs
Now turn onto your back. Make sure your back is flat, but don't press your spine into the floor. Now pull your knees towards your chest and create an approximately right angle between your upper and lower legs. Hug your shins and lift your head and shoulders off the floor. Hold the tension for ten to 15 seconds and then give yourself a short break. Repeat the exercise three times in total.
Third exercise: ski jump
Turn back onto your stomach and support yourself on your palms and knees. Her arms are stretched; her shoulders are above her palms, her knees below her hips. Breathe calmly and slowly move your upper body backwards until you can sit on your feet. However, her hands remain where they were the entire time. Stretch your back completely and feel the relaxation. While inhaling, slowly return to the starting position. Repeat the exercise three to five times.
Fourth exercise: Fly like Superman!
Lie flat on your stomach again with your arms pointing forward like you did in the first exercise. Breathe in and out calmly. As soon as your breathing has become calm and regular, tense your stomach, back and buttocks. Point your toes while slightly lifting your upper body. Your head remains as relaxed as possible; Her gaze remains focused on the floor. Hold the tension for a good ten seconds and then put your upper body down again. Repeat the exercise up to ten times.
Anyone who is already during the day Office desk Keeping fit with small exercises every now and then should be careful at the beginning. Because too much training can be too much of a good thing - and cause a lot of muscle soreness. Gradually increase the number of back exercises throughout the day. Also when it comes to repetitions: Don't overtax your body. After all, no one would think of running a marathon from a standing start. Even if the exercises don't seem strenuous, some of your muscles still need to build up.