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The problem of lower back pain has become that much more prevalent due to a large number of us spending our days sitting in a chair. All of this inactivity requires corrective measures to help a person stay strong and healthy. Let’s learn some spine exercises for desk workers that are easy to add into your daily routine, and can help relieve low back pain long-term.

“Why does my lower back hurt?”

Understanding the reasons behind why your lower back is hurting is key to figuring out how we should address the problem going forward. Oftentimes when we feel discomfort or stiffness of any kind, our natural inclination is to rest. However, depending on your unique situation, that might not always be the best solution—especially when it comes to office workers.

If you work on a computer or otherwise spend most of your day sitting, you have something in common with many of the people reading this article. Your body sits in a similar position as the rest of us, and for extended periods of time. On top of that, your life outside of work might not be much different; most of us spend our evenings sitting in the car and on the couch.

What does all this sitting do to a human body? And why does your lower back end up hurting at the end of it all? Well, as we’ll shortly see, the only thing that really improves is our ability to sit—which is not exactly a crowning physical achievement.

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Sustained Pressure

Going from standing to sitting increases the pressure on the lower back. Much of the weight that was distributed through your feet moves to your bottom against the chair. Gravity from above and the seat from below meet in the lower back and discuss ways to screw up your body. Relieving this pressure and decompressing the area can relax the area significantly.

Weakened Core 

Our core muscles have many functions, and as such, require a variety of stimulation to maintain their working abilities. Sitting greatly discourages the use of these muscles. There’s no explosive movement or reason to stabilize, bend or twist the body to any great degree while in a chair. The core muscles are important protectors of the low back; when they’re weak, we’re bound to hurt.

Shortened Hip Flexors

While perusing the internet for solutions to your back pain, you may have come across a muscle called the “psoas", your main hip flexor. It’s often referred to as the stress muscle because it tries to do everything and is often hyperactive (too tight). Because of its attachments to the lumbar spine, a short psoas pulls on the lower back. Chronic sitting shortens the psoas over time.

Poor Posture

We’re really not made to sit with good posture for long periods of time. The muscles in our backs and necks tire quite easily, allowing the head to drift forward with everything else following suit. The spine rounds forward into a slump, stretching the muscles in the back. They then feel “tight” not because they need more stretching, but because they don’t want to be stretched anymore!

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4 of the Best Spine Exercises for Desk Workers

We make our living at the desk, and in return the desk destroys our living…what kind of deal is that?! Time to turn the tables on back pain with some tried and true exercises for desk workers. Below is a selection of movements to address the problems we just discussed. They not only mobilize the back, but decompress and strengthen it, as well.

These are borrowed from the extensive programming we offer here at ReverseSit, which is an all-inclusive app and online platform to help office workers live and work pain-free. If you like these exercises, try signing up for a 7-day free trial with us by clicking here!

Decompression: Knee Hug

Instructions:

• Lie down on your back on a mat or soft surface
• Bring your knees tight into your chest and grab your shins
• Pull your knees in towards you and feel a stretch in the lower back
• Hold this position for 30-60+ seconds
• Feel free to rock gently from side to side to feel the stretch at different angles

Benefits

The knee hug stretch provides a gentle decompression to the lower back to help combat the effects of sitting. You can do it anytime you feel the lower back tightening up, though you might get some strange looks if doing it around the office!

Weakened Core: Bird Dog

Instructions:

• Start in a 4-point kneeling stance with your back and neck in a straight line (picture 1)
• Inhale, then draw the belly button in gently towards the spine to engage your deep abdominal muscles
• From here, reach one arm out in front of you and the opposing leg back behind you
• Do not overextend by arching the lower back to reach your limbs higher, try to bring each up to about parallel
• When you reach your end position, pause for a brief second, then return to your starting posture
• Switch the arm and leg that you elevate
• Repeat back and forth for 5-10 repetitions per side, or, 30-60 seconds total; perform 3 sets of either

Benefits

Properly drawing the belly in and learning to coordinate opposing limbs in this bird dog exercise is a great way to activate deep abdominal muscles that protect the lower back. For any anatomy nerds out there, transversus abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm and the pelvic floor, in particular.

Psoas Opener: Low Lunge I

Instructions:

• Start in a lunge position with one knee up in front of you and the other down on the mat behind you
• From here, lean into the forward knee and let the back hip extend (pictured)
• Keep the torso upright and the bum squeezed as best you can while doing the stretch (this keeps the pelvis neutral, you’ll know you’re forgetting this step if the lower back starts to arch excessively)
• Place your hands on your front thigh for support; you can also use a wall/chair for balance, if necessary
• Hold this stretch for 30-60+ seconds on each side

Benefits

Doing this low lunge stretch targets all the major hip flexor muscles, including the psoas. By performing it regularly, you can help the hip flexors to maintain their normal length and prevent them from pulling too much on the lower back.

Posture Fix: Prone Back Extension

Instructions:

• Lie face down on your mat with arms stretched out in front of you
• Lift your arms up off the mat, activating your shoulder and back muscles
• Then, pull your elbows back (squeezing the shoulder blades together) while simultaneously lifting your chest up off the mat
• Squeeze your bum muscles at the same time
• When you reach back and lift as far as you can (while keeping the hips on the mat), pause for a split second, then lower back down
• Stretch your arms back out in front of you, then repeat the sequence
• Perform 10 reps for 3 sets

Benefits

The prone back extension strengthens all the muscles on the back of your body that get overstretched and, consequently, weak as a result of too much sitting. Doing this exercise once a day or every other day is a great way to keep your posture upright and in-check.

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist