Office Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Half of all working Americans admit to having symptoms of back pain every year – that’s a whole lotta people. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for missing work. Lower-back pain in particular is a key offender, but it can be easily prevented and treated.

You might think your boss may get slightly frustrated if you start getting the whole office to join in with your exercise regime, or take three hours every day to workout in your suit, but consider this – by cutting your chances of back pain, you’re far less likely to need time off.

Also, we’re not talking about long, intense workouts to beat back pain – a few simple office and desk-based drills are all you need, along with changing a few lifestyle factors and perhaps the odd thing in your office set up.

This article is a two-fold, full on approach to treating and preventing the lower-back pain that could jeopardize your performance at work.

General Lower Back Pain Tips

Lose Weight

This may not apply to you, but if you are carrying a few extra pounds, dropping a few could seriously reduce your lower back pain. Losing fat means less stress on your muscles and joints and you’ll feel much better. If you’re not overweight, skip this step, but if your pants are feeling a little tight, maybe it’s time to switch those mid-morning cream cheese bagels and lattes to almonds and a black coffee.

Change Your Chair

Sit down in your office chair.

Does it feel comfortable? Is your butt on the seat? Can you put your feet flat on the floor? Is your lower, mid and upper back resting against the pad and can you sit with your head looking straight ahead without any pain or neck strain?

If not, here’s step number one – set your chair up so your posture is perfect when you’re sitting down. You could spend in excess of 40 hours per week in this position, so getting a comfortable, healthy sitting position is crucial. If you can’t get your seat right, ask your boss if there’s money in the budget for an ergonomically-designed, lower back-friendly chair. If they say no, source your own – the benefits far outweigh the cost.

Perfect Your Posture

This goes hand in hand with changing your seating position. A new chair set up to your specifications will undoubtedly help, but you could still be sitting poorly. If you know you’re prone to bad posture, take five post it notes and write “POSTURE” in big red letters on each. Place them around your computer screen, on your desk and your walls. This will ensure you’ve got posture constantly on the brain.

Stand Up

You’re far more likely to implement good posture when standing, so try working standing up every once in a while. You could opt for a specialist stand up desk, but these are expensive and you’ll need a big office to accommodate one. Alternatively, construct a make shift one by putting your keyboard or laptop on a box on top of your desk. Experiment with different heights – the perfect height enables you to stand completely straight while typing and looking at your screen.

Office Exercises For Beating Lower Back Pain

Take a Walk

Sometimes the most effective solutions are the simplest, and this is certainly the case when it comes to fixing your back pain. If you’re like most people, chances are your back feels worse after prolonged periods of sitting, so get up and take a stroll around the office every half hour or so. It doesn’t need to be long – just enough to get your blood flowing and help relieve some stiffness.

Planks

Drop to your knees with your forearms on the floor and assume a plank position. This involves placing your elbows underneath your shoulders, lifting you butt and torso up and holding your whole body as still and straight as possible. Don’t let your hips sag or stick your hips in the air. Squeeze your core muscles tight and think “straight back” all the time. Hold the position for as long as you can, then jump back to your desk.

Camel Cats

Despite the weird name, these are the ultimate in getting your lower back limbered up and mobile. Place your hands and knees on the floor and breather in hard, rounding your lower back and lifting it toward the ceiling. Hold this for two to three seconds, then relax, before pushing your stomach toward the floor and arching your lower back. Hold this for a couple of seconds and repeat the drill three to four times.

Bird Dogs

Another animal-themed spinal mobility drill here.

On your hands and knee again, lift your left arm straight out to the front and kick your right leg back until it’s straight. Do 10 to 15 reps like this, then switch arms and legs and go again.

A similar move - cats and cows:

Curl Ups

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your thighs and perform a mini sit up, squeezing your core hard at the top. Another 10 to 15 reps should suffice.

Knee Hugs

Go straight from curl ups into knee hugs. Still in the same position, lift your left leg up to your chest, take hold of it and pull it in to your body. Hold for a count of 10, then do the same with your right leg.

Pull Ins

Stand up and find some space against a wall to perform pull ins. Stand with your heels, butt, upper back and head against the wall, then slide one hand in the gap between your lower back and the wall. Breathe in and squeeze your abs so your lower back presses against your hand. Hold this for 10 seconds then step away from the wall, trying to maintain this posture. This is the position you should stand in all the time. It might feel odd, but it’s worth persevering with.

The best option for the above is to perform them all in a circuit style a couple of times each working day – once mid-morning and once in the afternoon. This shouldn’t take longer than seven or eight minutes. If you can’t quite manage that though, every little helps, so just complete one or two drills before a trip to the photocopier, while waiting for the kettle to boil or between phone calls.