How to sort out your neck and shoulder pain with 3 easy exercises

We live in a time where sitting has been the daily ritual. We sit for lengthy periods of time at work, in the car, while eating, and when we get home from work, we sit in a chair.

What’s the problem with that? At first, there wasn’t much. However, if you do not account for the number of hours spent sitting, you may soon discover some back and posture issues.

Neck and back problems, in fact, are the most prevalent concerns that prompt people to look for ways to improve their posture. Even if you don’t have to sit for long periods of time, paying close attention to how you sit can mend, prevent, and provide your body with the tools it needs to maintain a healthy, pain-free spine.

How to correct your shoulders and neck sitting posture

Here are three easy strategies to improve your posture and relief pain. These practises can only help you maintain good posture if you set aside a few minutes each day for mindfulness and self-care.

1. Rotating your upper part of the body, including shoulders

This is an effective method of reliefing the pain accumulating around your neck and shoulders area.

Improve your mobility and movement by releasing tension in your upper back, especially if you spend a lot of time bending over (such as when using keyboard).
A thoracic rotation is a way to get rid of stress by stretching and moving the upper spine.

Steps:

• Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and palms on the ground.
• Turn to the left, but keep your left hip and shoulder on the ground.
• Extend your left arm in front of you while lying on your side and on your left shoulder, keeping your palm facing upwards.
• Place your right hand on top of your left and make an upper back opening action, reaching as far back as you can while keeping your left hip and shoulder pushed to the ground.
• Make sure you’re only opening and twisting your upper spine. If you feel pins and needles, slowly ease yourself out of the position. It means that you’ve overstepped your bounds. Take note of your body.
• Exit the position, roll onto your back, and repeat on the opposite side.

2. Hamstring Stretches in the Supine Position

Like it or not, your hamstrings are the source of the majority of your lower back aches. When you sit for a lengthy period of time, your hamstrings shorten and tighten.

Tighter hamstrings flatten the natural arch in your lower back as they pull on the ischial tuberosity, often known as your sitting bones.

This might result in a posterior tilt of the pelvis and a curvature and rounding of the spine. Lower back discomfort is a common side effect of this treatment.

Steps:

You might want to get a yoga rope or a folded towel to help you stretch.

• Lie flat on the ground with both legs planted on the floor.
• Raising your right knee towards your torso, wrap the towel or rope around the ball of your right foot.
• As you lie back on the ground, grip both ends of the towel or rope with your right hand and slowly pull to a point of tension.
• Next, stretch the bent leg straight and erect while maintaining the other firmly on the ground, and make sure your right foot is bent and pointing down towards yourself.
• Begin by breathing deeply through your nose and slowly exhaling, pulling to your resistance point with each exhalation.
• To keep the upright leg from bending, place your left hand on your right knee.
• Pause for a minimum of ten deep breaths before repeating the process on the opposite side.

Don’t worry if you can’t raise your leg straight to 90 degrees. It’s quite natural if your hamstrings are extremely tight

Simply take yourself to your resistance point each time and keep your legs straight.

3. Bend only on one side

Any postural imbalance that you create over time might cause tension to your lateral back muscles and hips.

As a result, you may feel as though your upper torso is merging deeper into your hips at times.

Aside from causing back pain due to postural imbalance, stiff lateral back muscles can also limit the entire breathing capacity of your lungs. Incorporating a side bend into your daily routine will thus not only enhance your posture and spine flexibility, but will also provide you with a slew of other benefits, ranging from improved breathing to bowel relief.

Steps:

• Stand tall, with your feet slightly apart from one another and your arms at your sides.
• Keep your hands down and your right arm straight in front of you, parallel to your shoulder.
• Bring your right arm vertically overhead, palm facing up.
• Lean your upper body to the left as you exhale, sliding your left arm down your leg.
• For 30 seconds, hold the stretch.
• Return to a neutral stance as you inhale and repeat on the opposite side.

This position can also help you tone your stomach muscles and get rid of extra fat around your waist.

Incorporating these into your everyday routine will not take long. Simply paying attention to your posture for ten minutes a day can help you be more mobile in your later years.

Remember that the entire body is interconnected. Just as the hamstrings can have an effect on the lower back, different portions of your neck and back can have an effect on other parts of your body, from your head and arms to your hips.