Quick, Effective Exercises to Fix Your Posture While Working From Home

With the ongoing pandemic, the reality for most people is a work-from-home situation. You’re likely spending hours working at your desk, couch, or bed. Even if you’re more comfortable working in this environment, your posture is likely suffering the longer you work each day. 

Your posture is how you hold your body up while you stand, sit, or perform other tasks. You can ensure proper posture in a seated or standing position if your spine is aligned and your weight is evenly distributed. Good posture maintains your overall health and protects you from back pain. 

Bad posture displaces your abdominal organs and inhibits them from working, which affects your breathing and mood, and it also increases the likelihood of long-term back pain. At a time when more people work from home, you are more likely to develop bad posture habits.

To protect yourself against bad posture while working from home, here are some easy exercises that can help strengthen your body. With these exercises, you can develop a simple, daily routine to keep yourself healthy. 

Get Up and Take  A Walk 

If you’ve been seated for hours on end, chances are that the muscles you need to maintain good posture aren’t active. One habit that could help you with your posture is to stand up from wherever you’re working to take a walk around your house or your block. 

Standing and walking activates different muscles than while you’re sitting. While you walk, you will change your posture position to relax tense muscles or tense muscles that have settled. The different feeling will make you more conscious of the positioning of your spine. You can take a short walk every hour or every couple of hours even if you’re just walking around the room or to the kitchen to get a glass of water. 

Shoulder Blade Squeeze  

There are also exercises for you to work on while you’re seated to strengthen muscles and improve your posture. Squeezing your shoulder blades together is an easy exercise to do at your desk or on your couch. 

To do this exercise, sit up straight, and keep your hands placed lightly on your thighs. Make sure your shoulders are relaxed, and keep your chin at a level position. From here, slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together. When they can’t go any further, hold that position for five seconds and repeat three to four times. You can also do this every hour or couple of hours. 

Chest Stretch 

A simple chest stretch is another way to remind yourself of good posture positioning and help your upper body relax while you work. This exercise works whether you’re sitting or standing. 

Bring your hands together behind your back and clasp them as you extend your arms, pushing your chest forward and out. If you’re doing it right, you’ll feel a stretch in both your arms and your chest. Hold this stretched position for 30 seconds and then relax. You can also do this stretch every hour or every couple of hours as your body needs. 

Start These Simple Exercises Today

Fixing your posture doesn’t have to take a lot of work. With the simple tips and exercises above, you can have a highly effective exercise routine while working from home. Of course, if you want extra tips and help, try a virtual personal training program!