Back pain is a very common complaint for those who are sitting for long hours, specially for work or at home. If you are a working mum with a busy schedule at work and you sit for long meeting or for work related travels, you may have experienced back pain while sitting. Lets discuss some simple tips to stop your back from hurting when you are sitting in this 2 part blog.
When sitting always try and sit back into your chair with your bottom touching the back of the seat. If the seat of your chair is too long and this is not possible use a pillow or lumbar support or roll behind your back to shorted the seat length. This lumbar support (or a rolled-up towel works well too!) is also important as it supports the natural curve of your lower back. When your back muscles get tired you tend to move back towards the seat to lean on it. If you don’t sit back into your chair there is enough room for you slouch into the seat at this stage, leading to a poor slumped posture and back pain. Thus the lumbar roll can also help to prevent slouching and maintain a good sitting posture.
An easy way to maintain the curve in the lower back is by tilting your pelvis forwards and preventing slouching. This can be easily tested by checking the levels of your knee and hip joint in sitting. If the hip joint lies slightly above the knee joint it puts the pelvis in a forward or anterior tilt. If you use an ergonomic chair, check if you can tilt the seat of your chair. If not, use a wedge cushion can be helpful to achieve this tilt.
Another simple yet effective way to prevent back pain in sitting is to avoid sitting for long hours. This can be done by taking regular breaks by standing up and stretching. Our bodies are not meant for static postures, whether it is prolonged standing or prolonged sitting. Stand up and move around every 30 minutes throughout the day to reverse the effects of being seated for extended periods. This could also be as simple as shifting in your seat or shifting your weight from one side of the bottom to another, if you are in a long meeting or unable to get up from your chair. You can also do some simple stretches or desk based exercises while sitting, to offload the spine specially your lower back. These include simple stretches and exercises such as shoulder rolls, side bends, and gentle twists to release tension. These can be easily done even when you are in a meeting or a flight where you cant get up and move. They only take under 2 to 3 minutes to do but are highly effective when done on a regular basis.
In the meantime, HERE is a guide to help you How can you avoid back pain when working from home. It is also applicable whenever you are sitting, whether at work in the office or watching television in the house.
If you like this blog and want to be notified about new blogs as soon as they are published, subscribe to my mailing list below.
I would love to see you around the internet! For other places you can explore more about me: https://withswati.com/page/link
Note: This blog contains affiliate links which will bless me and I will be able to help more people with spine and joint pain
0 Comments