Exercises at the workplace with PC work

introduction

Physiotherapeutic exercises at the workplace offer an effective compensation for the lack of exercise and can intensively counteract the forced posture at the desk.
These exercises are very time-consuming and can best be carried out together with other employees at the workplace.

With a targeted exercise program (a so-called back school), every employee should start as a preventive measure, if possible, before complaints even occur. In addition to the ergonomic conditions of the workplace, the prerequisites for success are regular implementation of the exercise program and additional sporting activities in leisure time.

Physiotherapists (ideally with additional training in Ergo-Phys-Consult) are the right movement advisors on site.
They analyze and advise on individual problems of individual employees and offer workplace-related workshops for specific groups.
As part of these workplace-specific back training courses with the topics:

• Move,
• healthy work,
• Relaxation and
• Every employee can easily learn a corresponding exercise program to cope with stress.

The following article may also be of interest to you: Ergonomic office chair

Which relaxation exercises can I do at a PC workstation?

Relaxation exercises are important for the back and neck as well as for the arms and eyes.

For the back and neck, it already helps to leave the accustomed position in front of the PC for a few minutes and walk around.
This releases the tense posture.
These small exercise sessions should be done about every 45 minutes.

Usually it is enough to move for a minute or two.
It is helpful, for example, to place the printer in the next room. So you have to get up regularly to get printed documents.

For the eyes it is usually enough to let your gaze wander into the distance now and then.
The view from the window is ideal. Closing your eyes for a few seconds can also lead to relaxation. The arms can be relaxed by shaking them out regularly.

Small stretching exercises are also helpful.
For example, you can cross your hands, stretch your arms forward and then turn your palms forward. This will stretch and relax your shoulders and forearms.

What exercises can I do while sitting?

While sitting, small exercises that can relieve tension in the neck and shoulder area are particularly suitable at the PC workstation.

• An exercise for the shoulder area is as follows:

You sit up straight on the chair, your back leaning against the backrest.
Then the arms are stretched forward and your own hands are held.
The stretched arms are brought up to behind the head so that the back is hyperextended.

• Another exercise for the back is the so-called cat hump:

Here, too, you first sit up straight, then the upper body is slowly bent forward until it comes to rest on your knees.
This exercise stretches the entire muscles of the spine and can thus provide relaxation.

However, not only the back should be strengthened and relaxed. To keep the body in balance, stretching exercises for the chest muscles can also help.
Especially those who work at the PC often sit with a hunched back in front of the screen and therefore suffer from shortened chest muscles.

• An exercise for the chest muscles can be done as follows:

During the exercise, the arms are first stretched out to the side and then brought back as far as possible.
You try to bring your shoulder blades together on your back.

Those who suffer from frequent headaches also benefit from a self-massage of the neck muscles. With a few firm grips, tense points can be resolved in a targeted manner.

Read our article on this: Exercise examples for loosening up and relaxing while sitting at the desk

What exercises are there for the back?

For the upper part of the back, especially the neck and thoracic spine, exercises are suitable that can be performed both while sitting and standing.
In order to reach the entire back or the lumbar region, the exercises should be performed while standing.
In the back, mobility in all directions should first be strengthened.

To do this, sit down straight on a chair, with your feet hip-width apart on the floor to provide additional support.
Then the upper body is placed forward on the legs and then stretched back as far as possible. The back should rest against a backrest when stretching.

In addition, the arms can be stretched upwards. In this way a more extensive movement in the thoracic spine is achieved.

Next, hang your arms down sideways, leaning to the side of the chair.
If your balance allows, you can touch the ground with one hand at a time.
Then you cross your arms in front of your chest and turn your upper body first to the right and then to the left as far as possible.

The same ranges of motion can be performed while sitting for the cervical spine and while standing for the lumbar spine.
Regular relief is also good for your back by getting up, stretching and walking around the office.
The back assumes a new position and other muscle groups are used.

What exercises are there for the neck?

For the neck both

• relaxing and loosening up as well
• strengthening exercises are done.

Relaxing exercises aim at good mobility in the cervical spine and thus relaxation of the neck muscles.
To do this, the head is first moved in all directions:
You slowly put your chin on your chest and then lean your head back.
Then you tilt your head to the side so that the right ear is moved to the right shoulder and then the left ear to the left shoulder. This is followed by a look over the shoulder, in which the head is turned over the shoulder as far as possible, first to the right and later to the left.

Since the neck muscles are very tense in many people, these exercises should be performed slowly. This can prevent sudden headaches and dizziness.

In addition, the neck muscles can be stretched during the movement exercise.
When the head is tilted to the right, the right arm can also be placed over the head so that the left ear can be reached with the hand. With the arm, the head is pulled a little further towards the shoulder, thereby stretching the neck muscles on the left.

To strengthen yourself, you can also straighten your head against the resistance of your hand.
These movements should also be done slowly and in a controlled manner. If you suffer from particularly strong tension in the neck, you can massage yourself carefully along the cervical spine and a little along the back and shoulder muscles.
About a quarter of the way from the spine to the shoulder there is a so-called trigger point, which is very painful on pressure when there is tension. Here, the tension can be specifically reduced by careful pressure.

Please also read the article: Trigger point therapy

What standing exercises are there?

When standing, large stretching exercises are particularly suitable for the back.

• To do this, stand with your feet about hip-width apart, the left arm is stretched straight up, the right arm initially hangs down to the side.
  Now move your right hand down your leg sideways to knee level.
  In this way, both the back and the entire chest are stretched on the left side.
  The same exercise is then carried out for the right side.
• A second stretch primarily targets the lumbar spine.
  To do this, the feet are placed next to each other. From the upright position, slowly bend forward with your legs straight. The aim is to touch the ground or your own feet with your fingertips.
• To relax the thoracic spine and the shoulder muscles, stand again with your feet hip-width apart.
  You grasp the elbow on the other side with your hand and lift your crossed arms forward.
  Then you slowly turn your entire upper body 90 ° to the left, then 90 ° to the right.
  The exercise should be done slowly and carefully; it can be repeated about three to five times on each side.
• There is another exercise for the shoulders.
  To do this, the arms are stretched out to the side.
  First, twist your arms until your palms are facing up, while moving your arms back as far as possible. So that the shoulder blades are brought together.
  Then the arms are brought back to the starting position (90 ° laterally spread from the body) and rotated so that the palms point downwards / backwards.

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Further information on this topic can be found at:

• PC workplace analysis
  
• Exercises in the workplace
  • Relaxation and relaxation while standing and sitting at the desk
  • Loosening up and relaxation while standing
  • Posture improvement at the desk