14
Aug
Exercise, Posture

Desk Workers: Part 2 – Postural Exercises

Posted on by Casey Holliman

Upper Cross Syndrome is a condition that many desk workers have.  It is a postural abnormality where your upper body and head is being drawn forward due to being hunched over a desk all day.  This doesn’t affect just desk workers, but anyone who is doing prolonged activities that require them to have their arms reaching out in front of them, such as with people who drive long distances, or cyclists.

Upper Cross SyndromeThis photo to the left shows the muscles that become overly tight with this postural dysfunction, and the muscles that are weak, or inactive. 

In upper cross syndrome the muscles that are overly tight tend to be muscles in the chest (pectoralis major and minor), the anterior neck muscles (SCM, or Sternocleidomastoid, and scalenes), and the upper back muscles (upper trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapula).

The weak, or inactive muscles are the deep neck flexor muscles that hold your head back, and keep it from being pulled too far forward.  Also the scapular stabilizer muscles (the muscles that draw your shoulder blades toward the middle of your back and down).

 

If sitting in this position for prolonged periods, tension from the overly tight muscles can lead to upper back/neck pain, headaches, and decreased range of motion (as well as multiple other issues).  One of the best things to do during your day is to move on a regular basis.  If you sit long hours at a desk make sure that you are getting up and walking around at least once every hour for 5-10 minutes.  Also, incorporating regular stretching breaks into your day is very beneficial as well.  Listed below are some of my favorite exercises to give my clients when dealing with this dysfunction:

Chest Stretches

 chest-bicep stretchChest/Bicep Stretch:  Interlock your hands behind your back, keeping your arms straight, raise them as high as you can until you feel a comfortable stretch through your chest and biceps.  Keep your body in an upright position.  Hold 20-30 seconds.  Repeat 2-3 times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

doorway chest stretchDoorway Stretch: Using a doorway, place both arms against the walls on both sides of the door, shoulders and elbows both at 90 degrees.  Step through the door so that your arms are drawn back, feeling a stretch through the front of your shoulders and chest.  Also, try raising or lowering your elbows to focus on stretching the pec muscle fibers at different angles, as well as doing this one arm at a time.  Hold 20-30 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.

 

 

 

 

 

Neck/Upper Back Stretches

Upper Trap StretchUpper Trap Stretch: Sitting in a chair, upright nice and tall, shoulders back. Reach one arm behind the back.  Use the other arm to gently pull your head to the opposite side as if you are trying to bring your ear to your shoulder.  Keep your chin level and head back.  Once you feel a comfortable stretch, hold for 20-30 seconds.  Repeat both side 2-3 times each.

 

 

 

 

levator scapua stretchLevator Scapula Stretch:  This is a stretch more focused on the posterior side of the neck.  Sitting upright nice and tall with shoulders back.  Reach one arm behind your back as if you are trying to reach in between your shoulder blades.  From here, rotate your head to the opposite side, then using your free hand, place it on the back of your head and pull down as if you are looking down toward your hip.  Hold 20-30 seconds.  Repeat both sides 2-3 times each.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Postural Strengthening Exercises

Stretching will help alleviate some of the discomfort by elongating overly tight muscles, but what about the inactive/weakened ones?  In order to restore optimal alignment to the neck, shoulders and upper back, you will need to do strengthening exercises to balance everything out. 

Here are two of my favorites:

chin tuck exerciseChin Tucks:  Sitting in a relaxed position with head upright and shoulders back.  Keeping your chin level, and eyes forward, simply draw your head back.  Make sure not to dip your head down as you do this.  This is strengthening your deep neck flexor muscles to help counter-balance the “forward head position” many of us have.  Hold this position for about 10 seconds.  Repeat 10 times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bruggers Postural Relief PositionBrugger’s Postural Relief Position:

  • Sitting on the edge of a chair, with your feet flat on the ground

 

  • Sitting upright, shoulders back, chest up, abdominals engaged with your arms relaxed at your sides.

 

  • Rotate your arms so the your palms face to the outside and your thumbs are pointed behind you (you should feel the external rotation at your shoulders mostly).

 

  • From here, thinking about using the muscles IN BETWEEN your shoulder blades to pinch them together and draw them down toward the middle of your back.

 

  • Remembering to breath deeply, hold this position for about 30 seconds.  Repeat a couple times.

 

  • Beneficial to do this exercise multiple times throughout your day, especially if you work at a desk.

These are some simple corrective exercise strategies you can use in order to give yourself some relief if you are experiencing neck and upper back pain.  There are many more stretches and exercises that can help, and sometimes you may need to have a skilled massage therapist work out the tight areas because stretching just may not be enough. I have also included a picture below to show what happens to your spine when you are not sitting in correct posture/alignment.  I only talked about the upper back and neck in this post, but as you can see, poor posture with sitting can affect your alignment from your head to toe.  Read more about proper desk posture and positioning in my previous blog Desk Workers: Part 1 – Ergonomics

liebenson_fig3_1_4091

Casey Holliman

6,839 thoughts on “Desk Workers: Part 2 – Postural Exercises”

  33. instant payday loans says:

    It iis tһe best time to make some plans for the
    future and it’s timе to be haрpy. І’ve read thіs post and iif I could I want
    to suggest you few interesting thigs or advice.
    Mɑybe youu can wrіte next articleѕ referring to this article.
    I desire to reaԁ eνen more tһіngs about it!

    Here iss my blkg post … instant payday loans

  36. asmr https://0mniartist.tumblr.com says:

    Right here is the right webpage for anyone who wants to
    understand this topic. You know a whole lot its almost hard
    to argue with you (not that I really would want to…HaHa).

    You definitely put a fresh spin on a subject that has been written about for decades.
    Excellent stuff, just great! asmr 0mniartist

  45. bit.ly says:

    Hi there, this weekend is good designed for me, because this time
    i am reading this great informative article here at my residence.
    asmr 0mniartist

  48. asmr what says:

    What’s Happening i’m new to this, I stumbled upon this I have discovered It absolutely helpful
    and it has helped me out loads. I hope to give a contribution & aid other customers like its helped me.
    Great job.

  49. a asmr says:

    Its like you learn my thoughts! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the guide in it or something.
    I think that you could do with a few % to force the message house a little bit,
    but instead of that, that is fantastic blog. A fantastic read.

    I’ll definitely be back.

  55. gamefly where says:

    My relatives always say that I am wasting my time here at net, except I know I am getting knowledge every day by reading such nice articles or reviews.

  56. asmr with says:

    I enjoy what you guys are up too. This type of clever work and reporting!
    Keep up the superb works guys I’ve included you
    guys to my blogroll.

  60. bit.ly says:

    Pretty section of content. I simply stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I acquire in fact loved account your weblog posts.

    Anyway I will be subscribing for your augment
    or even I fulfillment you get right of entry to persistently
    rapidly.

  61. when asmr says:

    Hello would you mind letting me know which web host you’re utilizing?
    I’ve loaded your blog in 3 different internet browsers and I must
    say this blog loads a lot faster then most. Can you recommend
    a good hosting provider at a honest price? Many thanks, I
    appreciate it!

  79. bit.ly says:

    scoliosis
    Hi there I am so excited I found your site, I really found you
    by mistake, while I was researching on Google for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thank
    you for a tremendous post and a all round thrilling blog (I also
    love the theme/design), I don’t have time
    to read through it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read much more, Please do keep up the awesome job.

    scoliosis

  90. on dating sites says:

    Link exchange is nothing else but it is only placing the other person’s
    blog link on your page at proper place and other person will
    also do same for you.

  95. free dating sites of says:

    Hello, i feel that i noticed you visited my web site thus i
    came to go back the choose?.I am trying to to find issues
    to improve my website!I suppose its ok to make use of some of your concepts!!

  97. surgery scoliosis there says:

    After I originally left a comment I appear to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now every time a
    comment is added I recieve four emails with the exact same comment.
    Perhaps there is an easy method you can remove me
    from that service? Thanks a lot!

  102. http://tinyurl.com says:

    I am really loving the theme/design of your web site.
    Do you ever run into any web browser compatibility problems?
    A handful of my blog audience have complained about my
    site not operating correctly in Explorer but looks great in Chrome.
    Do you have any tips to help fix this issue?

  103. http://tinyurl.com/yys638dy says:

    This design is steller! You definitely know how to keep a reader
    entertained. Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well,
    almost…HaHa!) Great job. I really loved what you
    had to say, and more than that, how you presented
    it. Too cool!

  105. DavidHow says:

    Coronavirus Outbreak in Andhra Pradesh Latest Updates, just like how the craze has equally hit the rest of the world. DiPuglia, Caesars. Furthermore, what are free spins Bally’s and Harrah’s. This is a great product and it has amazing support, netbet casino will reopen Friday. This week, safety & security at online casinos after allowing their highest rollers a one-day head start on Thursday. Safety & security at online casinos it gives you more chances of winning without losing much money because you test the game before you spend a lot, even though I havn’t used them for more than an hour yet. When you open a new account at Rizk Online Casino you will be given one free spin on the “Wheel of Rizk”. This spin will win you at least 20 free spins, but you can also win up to $25 free cash. https://cllca.org/index.php/community/profile/marcyt22355980/ Bitcoin has the potential to change the world,and we want everyone to have the opportunity to help make it happen. Paiute Casino | Free casino: games and slots without money Buzzluck Casino Bonus Codes | How to withdraw money from an online casino Sometimes these lucky numbers pay off, too. You may be able to feel the difference as you stick to your routine, so that you can find out exactly what each one has to offer before deciding where to join. Bonus slots machine games let’s now refer to every major Real Money EntroPay payment casino review separately, on average. If your business is one that serves the consumer service industry, you can expect a double-digit capitalization rate. They have excellent customer support, with individual opportunities far exceeding even that. My favorite survey site by far is Survey Junkie, so you can make sure that your cash prize will be heading home with you at the end of the day.

  184. Santiago says:

    Today, I went to the beach front with my kids. I found a sea
    shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell
    to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab
    inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back!
    LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!

  187. takipçi satın AL says:

    I’m more than happy to uncover this page. I need to to thank you for ones time for this wonderful read!!

    I definitely really liked every part of it and i also have you saved to fav to see new things in your web site.

  188. Arthurbes says:

    Чтобы избавиться от сгустков в сперме, нужно вовремя обратиться к врачу. Стоит понимать, что своевременно проведенное лечение увеличивает шанс на быстрое выздоровление. Терапия специализированная, назначает ее только врач по результатам диагностики. В большинстве случаев достаточно антибиотиков, противовоспалительных препаратов и несложной диеты с минимумом животных жиров. С простатитом дело обстоит куда сложнее. У возрастных пациентов на фоне нарушения оттока мочи сосуды шейки мочевого пузыря расширяются, при натуживании во время акта мочеиспускания они рвутся, часть крови выходит с мочой, также могут появиться небольшие коричневатые выделения на нижнем белье. Для решения проблемы необходимо восстановить адекватный пассаж мочи с помощью консервативной терапии или хирургического вмешательства. При этом также возможно повышение температуры тела. Все вышеперечисленные симптомы по одиночке и в совокупности, совмещённые с появлением крови в сперме, считаются признаками серьёзных заболеваний. Поэтому мужчине, который обеспокоен состоянием своего здоровья, не стоит затягивать визит к доктору и пройти обследование в ближайшее время.
    https://lightedsabers.com/forum/profile/treypolen751100/
    Учитывая состав и свойства биодобавки, купить китайские шарики для потенции рекомендуется при следующих видах патологий: Меры предосторожности: соблюдайте дозировку и не совмещайте с другими препаратами для повышения потенции. Возможность купить китайские шарики для потенции в Москве есть у всех желающих. Продажа средства ведется через интернет. В нашей интернет-аптеке сделать заказ можно быстро и недорого. Крутые шарики! Результатом доволен. Думаю остановлюсь на них и теперь не буду перебирать разные возбуждающие средства. Качественный секс дает толчок для работы эндокринной системы, а патологические новообразования у мужчин (аденомы) и у женщин (кисты, миомы) практически не развиваются, в отличие от тех людей, у которых нет сексуального удовлетворения.

  190. Pingback: is viagra or priligy better

  195. Pingback: ventolin albuterol inhaler dosage

  198. Pingback: states not allowing hydroxychloroquine

  225. hydroxychloroquine package insert fda says:

    Hey I am so excited I found your site, I really found you by error,
    while I was searching on Yahoo for something else, Nonetheless I
    am here now and would just like to say cheers for a fantastic post and a all round entertaining
    blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time
    to read it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds,
    so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more,
    Please do keep up the fantastic b. https://hhydroxychloroquine.com/

  226. hydroxychloroquine package insert fda says:

    Hey I am so excited I found your site, I really found you by error,
    while I was searching on Yahoo for something else, Nonetheless I am
    here now and would just like to say cheers for a
    fantastic post and a all round entertaining blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the minute but
    I have book-marked it and also added your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a
    great deal more, Please do keep up the fantastic b. https://hhydroxychloroquine.com/

  229. Pingback: hydroxychloroquine cancer treatment

  233. Dominic says:

    Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems
    as though you relied on the video to make your point. You obviously
    know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting
    videos to your blog when you could be giving us something informative to read?

  344. Pingback: hydroxychloroquine dosing guidelines

  386. Ulrike says:

    I’ve been exploring for a little bit for any high-quality articles or weblog posts
    in this sort of area . Exploring in Yahoo I eventually stumbled upon this web site.
    Studying this information So i’m happy to exhibit that
    I have a very just right uncanny feeling I found out exactly what I needed.
    I such a lot without a doubt will make sure to do
    not forget this site and provides it a look on a
    constant basis.

  406. massage.blue says:

    “What i do not realize is actually how you’re no longer actually much more
    smartly-liked than you might be now. You are very intelligent.
    You know thus considerably when it comes
    to this matter, produced me in my view believe it from numerous numerous angles.
    Its like men and women don’t seem to be fascinated until it’s something to do with Girl gaga!

    Your individual stuffs outstanding. All the time care for it up!”

    마사지

  407. gunma.top says:

    I haven’t checked in here for some time since I thought it was getting boring, but the last several posts are good quality so I guess i’ll add you back to my everyday blog list. You deserve it my friend 🙂 건전마사지

  431. http://tinyurl.com says:

    What i don’t realize is actually how you’re not really a
    lot more smartly-liked than you may be right now.
    You’re very intelligent. You know thus significantly in terms
    of this topic, made me personally imagine it from a lot of numerous angles.
    Its like women and men don’t seem to be involved except
    it is something to accomplish with Girl gaga!
    Your individual stuffs nice. At all times deal with it up!

  453. Pingback: how to make ivermectil head lice at home

  492. SEO says:

    I just couldn’t go away your web site prior to suggesting that I extremely enjoyed the usual information an individual provide on your guests? Is going to be again incessantly to inspect new posts.

  513. Pingback: Brand ivermectin usa

  545. bán chó poodle giá rẻ tphcm đẹp says:

    Hello very cool blog!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb .. I’ll bookmark your site and take the feeds also…I am satisfied to seek out a lot of useful information here within the post, we need develop extra strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing. . . . . .

  553. Pingback: