Anyone who has to sit in front of a computer all day knows the importance of flexibility.
If you don’t get up every once in awhile and stretch out, your lower back becomes stiff and sore, and good posture hard to maintain throughout the day.
Sitting in an awkward posture could also lead to pinched nerve or sciatica problems.
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So it’s your job to take the necessary steps to keep it from getting worse. The best way to do this is by utilizing the standing forward bend low back exercise
The standing forward bend strengthens the entire back and hamstrings but is especially good for the lower back. Have you ever gotten up from a long stretch at the computer and not had some sort of back pain? If not, you should start taking care of your back now before you wind up with serious back problems as you get older. The standing forward bend has other benefits too. It encourages proper neck alignment, helps overcome poor posture while sitting and helps to relieve your sore tailbone.
The standing forward bend is easy to do and can even be done at the office since all you need is a place to stand. To do this exercise, stand with your feet beside each other and bend forward from your hips. Exhale as you bend forward. Do what feels comfortable and do not force your head down if your back is tight. Be relaxed. This can be an advanced yoga exercise but you should do it according to your abilities.
People who do the advanced version of this exercise are able to place their hands flat on the floor. If you cannot do that, don’t worry, you will still get a lot of benefit. In fact, to do the advanced version you need to warm up your muscles first and you don’t have time to do that at work. A full posture program would be an added benefit but this exercise by itself will help you a lot. Anyone can do the simple forward bend and there is no need to warm up first so it is an ideal exercise to do throughout the day. Stay relaxed and make slow movements.
- Stand up straight with your feet at hip width
- Put your hands on your hips
- While keeping your knees straight, bend your upper body forward
- Let your arms hang straight down towards the floor
- Breathe and relax
- Hold the position for one minute
- Return to the standing position by rolling your back upright, your head being last
While you do the exercise be aware of any tension in your back and body. This simple awareness will help bring relief. Paying attention to your body can help calm many discomforts.
This version of the forward bend is very good for relieving tension all throughout the back, but especially in the lower back area that receives so much abuse while sitting. If you take advantage of this low back exercise then you’ll be able to relax those muscles and get the relief needed to keep your productivity levels high and eliminate the low back pain.
You will get the best results from this back exercise if you do it as part of your daily routine. It doesn’t take much time so you can fit it in several times a day like when you first get up in the morning, during your breaks at work, before lunch, and right before you go to bed. This will help relieve the pain you have now and will also help prevent problems with pain in the future.
>> Click here for sciatica and back pain treatment and relief
In the end, lower back pain can be an irritating obstacle to overcome. While over-the-counter medicine can give you short term relief, you need to take advantage of a complete posture exercise system if you want a long term answer. You’ll gain more flexibility, less tension, and all the psychological issues that come with chronic pain. Best of all you can do it all naturally.
