3 Quick & Easy Workplace Stretches
Whether you’re an office worker and sit in front of a computer all day, or you’re a worker that’s constantly on the move in your workplace, everyday work activities can wreak havoc on your body. The lack of variation, along with bad posture, uncomfortable workstations and lack of movement can easily contribute to neck and back pain, headaches, muscle stiffness and tension.
Ergonomically sound tools and habits are key to an efficient working environment. One of those primary habits is regular stretching. Stretching is beneficial to the overall health of the body and plays a role in reducing musculoskeletal disorders among employees. MSD’s account for more than 600,000 injuries and illnesses and 34 percent of all workdays lost.
Studies are continuously showing us the importance of regularly stretching, to reduce muscle tightness and reduce associated pain. Stretching intermittently is also not only good for your body but is increasingly showing to improve productivity!
Here at Yeronga Chiropractic, we would like to raise awareness of the risks of prolonged sitting or inactivity at work and start educating workers on how to promote greater movement in their workplaces.
Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.
For example, sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh. That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which inhibits walking. Likewise, when tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, such as playing tennis, they may become damaged from suddenly being stretched. Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury.
Regular stretching keeps muscles long, lean, and flexible, and this means that exertion won’t put too much force on the muscle itself. Healthy muscles also help a person with balance problems to avoid falls.
Reasons Why Daily Stretching Is Good for Your Health
Numerous studies support the short- and long-term benefits of various types of stretching. Here are 10 reasons why you should be stretching on a regular basis.
- Decreased stress
- Reduced pain and stiffness
- Improved health
- Enhanced range of motion
- Improved muscular function
- Reduced risk of injury
- Enhanced performance
- Improved blood flow and circulation
- Minimised wear and tear on joints
- Improved quality of life
3 Quick & Easy Workplace Stretches
Dr Aidan has put together this short video, with 3 simple and easy stretches to start incorporating into your daily work routine.
These stretches help to mobilise and relieve tension in the gluteal, thigh, and lower back muscles
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Take Time to Stretch
At Yeronga Chiropractic, we have a few key recommendations to help keep you moving in your workplace.
- For every hour of work completed, spend 5-10 minutes moving and stretching
- Hold stretches for at least 15 seconds
- Avoid any exercises that cause pain or discomfort
- For extra benefit, incorporate a resistance band into your daily workplace stretches, to not only get your body moving, but to strengthen and condition your body
It’s also important to recognise that stretching once today won’t provide perfect flexibility overnight. It’ll need to be done over time, consistently, with a commitment to improving long-term health.
It may have taken months or even years to develop consistently tight muscles, so it’s unrealistic to believe that you’ll become perfectly flexible with less muscle tension after one or two days of daily stretching. It takes weeks to months to develop new habits and induce long-term changes to muscle tightness, so it’s important to consistently work on this daily.
Not sure where to start, or have an injury you’ve been trying to manage? Simply give us a call and talk to one of our friendly staff! 🙂
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