Chair Exercises to Help that Sore 'Work from Home' Neck and Shoulders
Hey everyone,
For this week’s Tight Muscle Tuesday we are going to do something a bit different.
Several of our clients have been working from home and have reported having sore necks and shoulders.
This is not a new thing. Around half of all office workers report neck pain and this is the highest incidence of neck pain amongst all other occupations[i]. Neck pain may feel like stiffness, a ‘kink’ or severe pain which can spread to the shoulders, upper back, arms or cause headaches[ii]. If you do experience pain, we recommend you see a health care professional.
One thing I have noticed while working from home is that with no co-workers around, I can work for a lot longer without leaving my desk. When sitting for long times, we tend to slouch, and our head leans forward. [iii]
This is made worse as many of us are having to make do with makeshift home office set ups such as laptops on kitchen tables or worse, working from the couch. A study showed that holding a tablet too low on your lap can push the neck into an unnatural posture which can aggravate our muscles, nerves, spinals discs and ligaments[iv]. The issue becomes clear when we think about the fact the average head weighs about 5 and half kilos (as much as bowling ball) and when we tilt our neck at 45 degrees, it puts about 23 kilos of force on our necks! (that’s as much as a small Labrador!)[v] This tends to cause compression through the joints in our neck and an overload of our neck muscles.[vi]
Photo by dima_sidelnikov/iStock / Getty Images
This may be only slightly uncomfortable for the short bursts of an occasional email, but for 8-10 hours of solid work, this can cause an issue.
Prevention is usually better than a cure and creating a better office setup and taking more regular breaks is preferable[vii]. However, not being an expert in ergonomics, we will leave that advice for other professionals. Instead, we’ve put together some exercises you can do at your desk to help relieve some of the discomfort in your neck and shoulders.
Mobility
Neck Rotations
Keep your head upright and sit up tall.
Turn your head from side to side gently.
Each time going as far as your neck will allow you.
https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/desk-stretches
Ear Drop
Starting from a tall seated position.
Tilt your ear down to your shoulder (without raising your shoulders).
Repeat on the other side.
Shoulder Roll
Sit up straight (the picture has the model standing but it can been done in your chair, too!)
Roll your shoulders in a backward circular motion for 5 rotations.
Then do 5 rotations forward.
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/upper-back-pain-exercises#10-stretches
Seated Spinal Rotation
Sit up straight.
Cross your arms over your chest and grab your opposite shoulder.
Rotate your upper body from the waist as far as you can to the left.
Repeat on the right.
https://www.bupa.co.uk/newsroom/ourviews/desk-stretches
Self Myofascial Release / Self-Massage
Ball on the Forearm
Use a tennis ball / lacrosse ball / trigger ball / spikey ball and roll it on top of the forearm.
Repeat on the bottom of the forearm.
https://www.wholeoflifechallenge.com/relieve-your-wrist-forearm-pain-mobility-exercises
Ball on the Neck
Use the same ball but make small circles on your neck and the top of your shoulders. Remembering to only roll on muscle (and not bone).
If you find a trigger point, gently push down on it for about 30-45 seconds
https://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Massage-Ball
Yoga
Chair Cat-Cow
Sit on your chair with your feet flat on the ground and your hands on your knees.
Inhale, starting from your pelvis and working your way to your head, tile your pelvis forward, arch your spine, chest, forward, shoulders down and back, head up (cow).
Exhale, staring from your pelvis again, tilt your pelvis back, round your spine, shoulders forward, chin to chest.
https://www.verywellfit.com/chair-yoga-poses-3567189
Chair Raised Hands Pose
Start from a seated position with arms beside you and palms facing in.
Inhale, raise your arms above your head (do not arch your back).
https://www.verywellfit.com/chair-yoga-poses-3567189
Chair Forward Bend
Start from a seated position.
Exhale, learn forward over your legs.
Lower your head and hands to the floor as far as they will go (you can place some folders or books on the floor if that helps).
Inhale, sit up.
https://www.verywellfit.com/chair-yoga-poses-3567189
Chair Savasana
Sit on your chair.
Gently close your eyes if you feel comfortable doing so.
Bring your attention to your breath.
Notice the stomach rising and falling.
Notice the thoughts come and go and bring your attention back to your breath.
Count your breaths if this helps.
Take a few minutes to calm your mind.
https://www.verywellfit.com/chair-yoga-poses-3567189
Conclusion
Working from home has its advantages (less travel time and fuel, time with family/pets, sometimes less distraction) but it can take its toll on our necks and shoulders. Try these exercises to help loosen and relax those tight muscles to help you feel and move better.
You can also get your FREE 2 week Recharge trial and we’ll go through these techniques with you.
The EVERYDAY can lead to tight necks and shoulders.
Come to Recharge and Move BEYOND the EVERYDAY.
[i] Xiaoi Chen (2018) cited in https://sportandspinalphysio.com.au/neck-pain-in-office-workers/
[ii] https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/necpn
[iii] https://sportandspinalphysio.com.au/neck-pain-in-office-workers/
[iv] https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/calling-all-desk-jockeys-stretching-to-ease-neck-and-shoulder-pain
[v] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sitting-at-your-desk-doesnt-have-to-be-a-pain-in-the-neck/art-20269947
[vi] https://sportandspinalphysio.com.au/neck-pain-in-office-workers/
[vii] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sitting-at-your-desk-doesnt-have-to-be-a-pain-in-the-neck/art-20269947