Yoga, Pilates and Co.: back exercises for the office and studying

Whether every day in the office or when studying for school or university: concentration is so important in order to optimally prepare for exams or successfully complete projects. Many people forget their most important ally: their back. Because if he is strong, upright and relaxed, concentration works much, much better.

This story is about back exercises from yoga and Pilates and other tricks that you can use to counteract back pain in the office or while studying (and, to be honest, even while gaming at your desk). We focus on one culprit in particular: sitting for long periods of time.

Sitting for long periods of time is not only a real strain on your muscles, tendons and organs. Your concentration also decreases if you remain in a sitting position for a long time. Sport and exercise, on the other hand, improve the ability to concentrate. Researchers have already been able to prove this in studies . And you will see: Back exercises at a desk, while standing or on the floor can do a lot for you and your body - whether at work, at home, at school or at university.

The good news is that you can avoid back pain caused by sitting for long periods of time. Lack of concentration due to back pain too. All it takes is just a little discipline and trying to listen more closely to your body. And this story of course.

Shall we get started? Then please assume an upright sitting position and: start reading!

That's why you get back pain from sitting for long periods of time

Maybe you've noticed it yourself: When you sit at your desk and need to concentrate, you easily slip into a certain position. Your upper body is curved and your shoulders hang forward (“hunched back”). At the same time, you unconsciously overextend your neck and push your head forward (“vulture neck” or “laptop neck”). This posture causes important postural and movement muscles to atrophy, while other muscles and joints are put under excessive strain. In the long run, this leads to neck and back pain. According to studies , desk work is therefore the most common cause of these complaints. The same applies to learning or gaming in a sitting position: an unhealthy posture is poison for your back. And for your concentration. Back pain caused by sitting for too long and, above all, incorrectly, causes a whole range of disadvantages that you could avoid.

At a glance – this is why you have back pain from sitting for too long or incorrectly:

• In the typical screen position, the muscles in the front half of the body are not stretched. They become shorter over time. At the same time, the fascia (connective tissue) around the muscles becomes matted.
• In order to keep your torso upright, your back extensors work against it. This leads to overuse of the back muscles: they start to hurt.
• When sitting, the hip joint and thigh form an approximately 90 degree angle. This causes the hip flexors to become shorter and more rigid over time. Your shortened hip flexors pull on your lumbar spine. It starts to pinch in the lower back.
• Long, static sitting causes the intervertebral discs to compress, i.e. the “shock absorbers” between your vertebrae. They are less able to regenerate and wear out earlier. If the tissue of the intervertebral disc is pushed outwards, doctors speak of a herniated disc. Young people and even children can also suffer from a herniated disc.

To avoid back pain in the office or at home, you can make sure to sit upright and relaxed at your desk. Even though it may sound a bit scary, imagine that a puppeteer was pulling you up using a thread attached to the back of your head - you'll be sitting correctly and can learn with more concentration. The upright sitting posture also gives you renewed self-confidence - American researchers were able to impressively prove this in a study .

Two or three tips for sitting posture: Make sure that your feet are firmly on the floor when sitting and that you have adjusted your chair so that your lumbar spine, upper back and neck are supported by the backrest while you sit upright. The arms should rest relaxed on the armrests and the hands should be able to rest comfortably on the desk top near the keyboard. The thigh and lower leg form an angle of around 100 to 120 degrees.

Unfortunately, the best sitting posture doesn't help in the long run if you sit for too long. At some point your back hurts, your muscles feel like you're asleep and your head is buzzing because there's too much pressure on your spine, neck and more. So what to do? How about a break? And numerous useful yoga and Pilates back exercises and other tips for this break?

Take breaks to do back exercises - then you can concentrate on studying again.

Back pain from sitting? Time to do something about it!

After at least 90 minutes of concentrated studying, working or gaming at your desk, it's time for a break . Our tip: Leave your smartphone behind and instead do the five back exercises that we're about to show you. The advantages:

• You stretch and strengthen your muscles.
• You relieve tension.
• You prevent back pain.

The movements also stimulate your blood circulation and ensure that your heart pumps oxygenated blood to the brain. A short break from exercise also clears your head and often works better than other concentration exercises - try it out!

Yoga and Pilates for five back exercises in the office and for studying

Yoga and Pilates are a blessing for the back and hips. Yoga in particular offers gentle back exercises that have been tried and tested over thousands of years, with which you can do a lot right and very little wrong - even if you want to strengthen your back all alone on the office floor. The back and posture exercises that we are now introducing to you are all suitable for beginners. By the way, you don't need anything to do the five exercises except a few minutes and perhaps a mat or blanket that protects your knees. And you can easily and simply start using yoga to avoid back pain and hip pain and thereby also prevent a lack of concentration.

The special thing about the exercise sequence that we are now showing you is that cross movements promote cooperation between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Because while your left hemisphere controls the right side of your body, the right hemisphere controls your left side of your body. If both halves of the body are active, the halves of the brain also work together - and this in turn helps your concentration. Sophisticated, right?

1. Stretch: forward and back bend

Stand upright. Place your hands on your waist. The fingers point towards the spine. Now slowly bend backwards. Tilt your head back until you can see the ceiling. Push your groin forward and enjoy the stretch. Remain in this position for about twenty seconds. Now slowly leave the position and stand upright again. Then you bend forward. Your fingertips reach towards your toes. Feel the stretch in the backs of your legs. Stay in this position for about twenty seconds. Repeat the exercise three times.

2. Strengthening: Swimmers

Lie on your stomach and stretch out. Lift your upper body, arms and legs off the floor and tense your buttocks strongly. Now you paddle with your hands and feet, similar to swimming. You leave your neck long and your gaze directed towards the floor. After fifteen seconds, take a ten second break and then repeat the whole thing twice more. This is a strenuous but very effective strengthening exercise.

3. Coordination: Table Top

Get on all fours. Your gaze is focused on the floor, your stomach and buttocks are tense. Now extend your right arm and left leg diagonally and hold them both parallel to the floor for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Now it's the other side's turn. Repeat the exercise ten times on each side. The exercise strengthens your back, improves coordination and, thanks to the cross-over movement, also the interaction of the hemispheres of your brain.

4. Mobilization: cat-cow

Get on all fours, pull in your belly button, make a cat hunchback. Your chin points towards your chest. With the next inhale, lower your stomach and at the same time lift your head until you have a slight hollow back. The shoulder blades pull back slightly, the breastbone moves forward. Alternate smoothly between the two positions for about a minute while maintaining your breathing rhythm. With this exercise you loosen and mobilize your spine.

5. Relaxation: child's position

Sit on your heels and rest your body lengthwise on your thighs. The forehead rests on the floor. Stay like this for a minute and just let the thoughts go. This stretches and relieves the strain on your entire back and gives you a clear head again.

Finally, you get up, stretch and stretch, and drink a glass of water by the open window. Maybe you'll snack on a fruity glucose mini or help yourself to yours ° can. It contains dextrose tablets with an orange or cassis aroma. Would you like it to sparkle a bit? Then try the school material tablets with cola or forest fruit flavor. Bet you can now study, work or play with more concentration?

By the way, the continuous supply of dextrose (i.e. glucose) doesn't just play a role during your breaks:

Lack of sugar at work or while studying? Not with Dextro Energy*!

In addition to a lack of exercise and poor posture, a lack of sugar can also be the reason why you can't concentrate at your desk. When blood sugar levels drop, your brain craves food and activates the “ brain pull ”. For a quick supply of readily available carbohydrates, let a tablet of glucose melt on your tongue - particularly delicious in the blueberry flavor or in the Immunfit ° variant with multivitamin flavor from Dextro Energy*. They are popular companions when preparing for exams .

Back exercises and tips if you have to sit for long periods of time

Sometimes you just can't avoid sitting for long periods of time. Sometimes there aren't even yoga back exercises in the office. Deadlines, exam stress – there are many reasons why we sometimes sit for too long without a break.

So if you can't avoid sitting for long periods of time, you can at least try to sit dynamically. To do this, change positions frequently and only stay in one position for as long as it feels good for you. Here are some suggestions:

• Lean back to relieve pressure on the intervertebral discs.
• Slide forward and support your elbows.
• Rock on the edge of the chair for a few seconds.
• Stretch and stretch.
• Learn stretching methods for your neck and shoulders that can also be done while sitting in a desk chair.

Modern people spend up to 14 hours sitting. That's too much. Health suffers, concentration drops. Work, learning and even leisure time at the desk become torture for many. With our tips you can hopefully avoid back pain in the future. Hopefully our back exercises will accompany you through your everyday life from now on. For a more relaxed back, more concentration - and therefore more joy in everything you do.

*Contains carbohydrates

Immune Fit°: Vitamin B6, B12, C and folic acid each contribute to the normal function of the immune system.

A varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle are important.

 

SOURCES

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2009, April 1). Physical Activity May Strengthen Children's Ability To Pay Attention. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 21, 2022 from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090331183800.htm

Brakenridge, CL, Chong, YY, Winkler, E., Hadgraft, NT, Fjeldsoe, BS, Johnston, V., Straker, LM, Healy, GN, & Clark, BK (2018). Evaluating Short-Term Musculoskeletal Pain Changes in Desk-Based Workers Receiving a Workplace Sitting-Reduction Intervention. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(9), 1975.

Li Huang (Northwestern University, Evanston) et al.: Psychological Science, online advance publication, doi: www.10.1177/0956797610391912 dapd/forschung.de

PHOTO CREDITS

all images: @iStock