Instant Relief I - Sitting and Toning

More and more people literally sit themselves sick. Almost one in two people has back problems. Constant sitting, the wrong posture and too little exercise make muscles wither and often lead to back problems. In the first part of our Instant Relief guide, we have therefore selected two exercises that do not take long and - if done properly - strengthen your back for daily strain. Why not join in right now?

Exercise 1: How should you sit properly?
Abdominal thrust and straightening
The aim of the exercise is to find the correct seating position. It is the position in which your body weight rests optimally on your pelvic bone.

Sitting: Sit up straight and place your feet on the ground shoulder breadth apart. Your toes should be pointing forward. Your knees are above your heels. Your legs are bent roughly at right angles at the hips and knees.
Push: Now imagine pouring out a bowl of water with your abdomen - your abdomen pushes forward. Your back remains straight.
Straighten up: Now lift your breastbone and gently pull your shoulders down and back. Make sure both shoulders are always at the same height. Now pull your chin back a little. Your head remains an extension of the backbone.
Proper functional seating: The proper functional seating position is halfway between your straightened and your thrust positions.
You can repeat the exercise as often as you like, but remember: Even the best seating position is only a support. Exercise is always the best way to prevent problems.

Exercise 2: Move!
Overhead bracing exercise
Lack of exercise is one of the most common causes of tension, lack of oxygen circulation, incorrect posture and the pain it causes. The aim of our second exercise is to strengthen the muscles at the side of the back, shoulders and neck.

Form an overhead U-shape with your arms while your palms face upwards. Now stretch both hands vertically upwards until your arms are almost fully extended. Towards the end of the movement, bring your hands closer together so they touch each other lightly. Then bend your arms again and return to the start position. Repeat the exercise in three sessions of 10 to 20 exercises per session.

Make sure to:

• Keep your upper body still.
• Keep your back straight and upright.
• Face forward.
• Point your forearms vertically downwards.

Continue to Part II with stretching and relaxing exercises.

Instant Relief II - Stretching and Relaxing

Now that you have found your correct seating position and warmed up your muscles in Instant Relief Part I, we will focus on stretching your legs, which are often neglected when seated, in Part II. We will then complete the exercises with a brief moment of relaxation.

Exercise 3: Relaxed breathing and dropping to a collapsed position
Your daily work brings stress, time pressure and hectic activity. That literally ruins your posture. The following exercise is designed to create a little moment of peace to help you cope with stressful days in a relaxed way.

Sit on your chair in a relaxed and comfortable position. Breathe in deeply. When exhaling, let your arms and upper body fall in on themselves. The entire body relaxes.

Make sure to:

• Repeat the exercise at least three times in a row.

Exercise 4: Wake-up for your legs - stretching the back of your thighs
Systematic stretching for your legs, which are neglected while seated, improves blood circulation and noticeably relaxes the muscles, tendons and li game nts. Sit on the edge of your chair. Bend one leg further to act as a support during the exercise. Stretch the other leg out. Bend the upper body at the hip, move it forwards and push your behind backwards. Keep the tension for 15 to 20 seconds. Release the tension slowly and repeat the process with the other leg. Repeat the exercise three times.

Make sure to:

• keep your upper body straight
• avoid painful stretching

You achieve best results if you integrate the exercises into your daily working routine and repeat them regularly.

The Bosch BKK offers a wide range of health training courses for your back and covers at least part of the cost for many courses. The links to the right hand side of this article take you to further information on our payments for certified preventive courses.

More swing to your working day

In addition to targeted toning and stretching of your muscles and relaxation for your back, you can support the positive effect of our Instant Relief exercises with many small changes in your habits. Carried out consistently, they bring greater variety to your working day. They are quick and start in the morning on your way to work.

Just try out the following tips and feel the positive effects!

• If you can, go to work by foot or bicycle.
• Take the stairs instead of the lift. That improves your blood circulation and strengthens the muscles.
• Use every opportunity to move around at work.
• Pay attention to your seating posture: Is your body weight evenly distributed? Is the position of your head comfortable? Try to find the right seating position more often. The first exercise in our Instant Relief guide will help.
• Sit dynamically. Extend the repertoire of seating postures, change your seating position often between seated upright, bent forward and leant backwards. Make sure that the back of your chair supports dynamic seating. It should be able to move as you lean back and thereby relieve the strain on the vertebra.
• Stand up - sit down: Use your thigh muscles in a targeted way and stretch your back. Do not rest your hands on your thighs, arm-rests or table while doing so. The exercise relieves the backbone.
• Phone more often standing or walking around.
• Switch between a normal desk and a high desk
• Use arm rests, foot supports and palm rests: They relax the shoulders and neck. Foot rests relax the leg muscles and back. On the right, there is a posture check with guidance on the correct ergonomic design for your workplace.
• And last but not least: Make sure you have enough exercise during your free time.