Back pains aren’t just for old people. Even as early as in your 20s, you can experience a lot of back pain for some reason. This is generally a result of our posture and lifestyle.
Before, there is little we can do about it because we are confined in offices. Now that many of us are working remotely, we have full control of what we do all day. That means that we can move around more without disturbing other people. It also means we have more time to stretch our backs because commute time is taken off.
If you want to know how you can relieve your perpetual back pain while working remotely, try these out:
Massage
A lot of times, back pains are caused by strain from the muscles. Sometimes, all it needs is a bit of pressure to relieve the aches and tension. Getting a good spa massage therapy can fix that, but it might be difficult to find one open during a pandemic. Some only allow people who book through an appointment. You may also find a service that can go to your home and do it there.
Another thing you can do, especially now that you have lots of time at home, is to learn how to do a massage yourself. This is a great skill because not only can you do it on your own back, but it can also be a source of income. You can offer massage services on the side after the pandemic. When doing this, make sure that you avoid kneading into bones and nerves.
Massages have a ton of benefits aside from easing back pains. It can also improve circulation, which is what helps in recovery. This can also be another way to relax if you have trouble falling asleep.
Yoga
Stretches are a great way to prevent back pain. Yoga is a type of exercise that both increases flexibility and helps relieve muscle soreness. Prolonged sitting and staying in the same position is what usually causes tension in our muscles. Different yoga positions engage different muscles. On a normal workday, most of these muscles don’t get enough movement.
Aside from muscle aches. Yoga is also great for your cardiovascular health. Being able to hold complicated postures while doing breathing exercises can increase your stamina. It is known to decrease hypertension and heart disease, even for those that are already healthy. Similar studies also found that it helps regulate your blood pressure and sugar levels.
Yoga is also another way you can increase strength. Certain types of yoga require you to carry your own weight and such. It takes a lot of muscle strength to be able to hold poses and since there are a lot of them, it can work your entire body.
Core Exercises
When we’re talking about core exercises, it’s not just the abdominal muscles. These also work the muscles connected to it, and this includes your lower back. Building core strength is important because it keeps your body straight and upright. Poor core strength can cause you to slouch more, which further hurts your back.
The best thing about core exercises is that they usually require no equipment at all. Crunches and sit-ups are the most common. Bridges are also great for both your core and glutes. Some people also do variations for an increased challenge. They either hold something heavy while they push their torsos up. There are also more challenging variations of crunches and sit-ups.
Active Breaks
For a lot of us, it can’t be helped that we are sedentary most of the day because of work. Fortunately, you can counter its effect by being more active throughout the day. You don’t have to do a full workout or anything. All you need to do is take multiple breaks throughout the day and do some stretches.
Experts say that standing up and walking around every hour can make a huge difference. This allows your body to get a bit of movement throughout the day. Sitting for long hours adds pressure and stress, especially on your spine. That is what is causing so much pain to your lower back.
Something that a lot of people are doing now is getting standing desks. Though standing in the same place for long hours does very little difference, it is better than sitting down. When we sit, we tend to arch our backs too much. This can also be resolved by getting better chairs that support our back and following good posture when sitting.