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Written by: Kaleena Yeung BSc, MScPT, Registered Physiotherapist
So many of us have had to unexpectedly adapt to working from home and may not be properly set up to do so.
Here are some tips to help improve body position and limit muscle strain:
Here are 5 exercises that can be done easily at home without any equipment. These can be done to improve posture/strength and to help break up your workday:
Begin sitting or standing up tall with your shoulders down and resting away from your ears, focus on an object at eye level and gently move your head back to tuck your chin in without looking up or down. You can use your fingers to help guide the movement if needed.
Hold for 5 seconds, relax and repeat 10-15 times; do this 1-2 times per day or as needed.
Begin sitting up tall in a chair, you can place a folded towel over top of the chair back for comfort if the chair is too firm, with your fingers clasped behind your neck and your elbows together in front of you, slowly relax backwards over the edge of the chair as far as you can comfortably stretch. Keep your elbows close together and try not to arch your lower back.
Hold for 5 seconds, relax and repeat 10-15 times; do this 1-2 times per day or as needed.
Sitting up tall with your hands folded across your chest, slowly twist your trunk to one side stopping if pain is made worse, take a deep breath and exhale rotating farther as able without increasing pain, repeat until you can go no farther or pain is increased. Slowly return to the neutral position and repeat to the other side. Try not to shift your hips to the opposite side when rotating.
Repeat 3-5 times per side; do this 1-2 times per day or as needed
Lying on your stomach, you can use a rolled towel under your forehead for support, pull your shoulder blades down and away from your ears without lifting your chest from the ground. Then a) with your arms at your sides slowly raise them off the ground, pause and slowly lower; b) with your arms out to the side in a T position and your thumbs pointing up, slowly raise your arms off the ground, pause and slowly lower; c) with your arms overhead in a “superman” position, slowly raise them off the ground, pause and slowly lower.
Repeat 10-15 times or to muscle fatigue, do 2-3 sets at a time; do this 3-4 times per week
A
B
C
Facing the wall, stand up tall pulling your shoulder blades down and away from your ears, place both hands on the wall resting the pinky side of your hand on the wall, slowly slide your hands along the wall up and to the outside creating a 45 degree angle, once your elbows are fully extended lift your arms off the wall, pause and slowly lower your arms off the wall using your shoulder blades to help pull your arms down creating a ‘W’.
Repeat 10-15 times or to muscle fatigue, do 2-3 sets at a time; do this 3-4 times per week
Remember to take regular breaks from looking at your computer screen if able; your head, eyes and body will appreciate it!
Are you experiencing headaches with things like reading or computer tasks? It might be because of small muscles in your neck? Check out this quick tip to learn more!
This patient came in with a painful and disturbing clunking sensation while reaching overhead. With his consistency you can see his progress through his injury rehabilitation.
Many people don’t realize that they can come in BEFORE they have pain. You don’t have to wait until the pain effects your quality of life to come to physio.
