Backache at work: how to combat it with some simple exercises

An inactive life and a job that keeps us sitting at our desks for long hours are two of the main causes of the back pain. Often it is blamed on the wrong lifting of a weight from the floor, other times on the uncomfortable mattress, but the real problem lies upstream of all this and is loss of core tone and the lack of flexibility and of mobility of the posterior and anterior kinetic chain.

What is core?

The core is nothing more than the collection of all the muscles that envelop the abdominal corset and helps us in maintaining the correct alignment of the spinal column. Many hours spent in the office sitting in a chair tend to cause us to adopt awkward and incorrect postures that negatively affect our posture.

If we add to that the journey in the car or on some public transport, the hours we spend sitting become eight if not more. Physical activity becomes our most faithful ally in combating this problem as it tones our muscles, keeps our joints lubricated and improves peripheral vascularisation by bringing nourishment to our muscles.

What type of activity is most recommended to avoid back pain?

There is no one physical activity that is better than the others, but there are certainly several that can help to prevent and to cure this problem. Depending on your situation and fitness level you can undertake aerobic activities, of light weights, functional training e holistic activities such as pilates or yoga.

If your aim is to preventing back pain, you can choose any of the above activities as they all invigorate, mobilise and help to improve the flexibility of our muscles. If, on the other hand, you already have some symptoms of back pain, the advice is to starting with holistic activities and then move on to the others.

Exercises to do at work

This is a routine you can use in small breaks during work that will help you to awaken and strengthen your core muscles and improve your posture:

• Diaphragmatic breathing with hands on legs
• Column extensions with hands on legs
• Cat & cow sitting
• Stretching of the ischiocrinals

Perform each exercise for about 60 seconds and recover for 20 seconds.

Another aid against back pain that we can comfortably use during our working hours is precisely the type of seat. La Sidea Active Sitting Ball in fact, it is an effective solution for sitting and staying active. It 'forces' one to continuous adaptations because, being a spherical surface, it changes with every slightest movement. This has a positive effect on the activation of the entire postural musculature and allows the physiological curves of the spinal column to be restored.

Try this routine with Sidea Active Sitting Ball e elastic band

Do this exercise routine twice a day, it's only 5 minutes!

• Seated torso rotations on Sidea Active Sitting Ball
• Lengthening of the iliopsoas in support on Sidea Active Sitting Ball
• Overhead pulls with elastic band sitting on Sidea Active Sitting Ball
• Ischiocratic stretching with elastic band sitting on Sidea Active Sitting Ball
• Pull with tight elbows sitting on Sidea Active Sitting Ball with elastic band

Perform each exercise for about 60 seconds and recover for 20 seconds.

5 useful tips to prevent back pain

• Try to dedicate about 120-150 minutes of physical activity per week
• Drink about 2L of water per day, keeping hydrated will help your joints
• Run a few stretching routine every day, whether in the morning, during the day or in the evening
• Keep your weight
• He always wears comfortable footwear and suitable for your activities.