1. Get a standing desk
Sitting is the new smoking. Sitting has been shown to be a lot more harmful than previously thought because it contributes a plethora of metabolic diseases. But the most imminently annoying thing about sitting at a desk all day is the back pain. Why does sitting cause back pain? That is because prolonged sitting puts extra pressure and stress on the low back. Additionally, most of us do not sit with straight posture; instead we slouch forward with our ears in front of our shoulders causing low back, upper back, and neck pain. A standing desk solves both problems; it alleviates the pressure added to the lower back and it corrects your posture. You will find that standing up intermittently throughout the day will alleviate a lot of back pain.
When choosing a standing desk, choose one that lets you adjust between sitting position and standing position. Of course that is more expensive but I think it is worth it. The other option is to get a standing desk and then getting a bar stool or a bar seat so you can sit when you don’t feel like standing. I don’t think you should stand 100 percent of the time as it can cause your feet to hurt. This is a cheap option on Amazon.
2. Get a foam roller
Foam rollers are godsend. Not only do they feel good, but they alleviate back pain. Foam rollers work by massaging your muscles and to unwind and loosen them. You might feel that a foam roller hurts at first but you will get used to it and it will feel like a massage soon after. The more firm the foam roller, the more knots it will get out. When foam rolling, do not just concentrate on the area that hurts, also concentrate on the supporting muscles. So if I have low back pain, I would foam roll the lower back but I would also foam roll the hips, butt, and the thighs. As far as what I recommend, I would recommend getting a foam roller with trigger points, such as this one.
4. Use a wooden back roller
When I had low back pain, using a wooden back roller while sitting was amazing. If you place it near your low back or your middle back while sitting, it will massage tight muscles but it will also correct your posture. Again, like a foam roller, this is something you will have to get used to. You can get one on Amazon for under $25. The wooden back roller is ideal for use when sitting at the desk whereas the foam roller is ideal for use at home or at the gym. Also, because it is wood and not foam, a wooden back roller is much firmer.
5. Use a lacrosse ball
A lacrosse ball feels GREAT for getting little knots out. I use the lacrosse ball when sitting and roll it to different points of my back. A lot of experts recommend a lacrosse ball as an ideal tool for myofascial/trigger point release. This is a cheap and convenient option. Although you can use a wooden back roller and a lacrosse ball when sitting at your desk, the lacrosse ball doesn’t straighten your posture the way a wooden back roller does. But if you want to hit specific parts of your back, the lacrosse ball does a wonderful job.
6. Use an ergonomic chair
You are going to be spending most of your time in a chair. So it would make sense that you invest in a good one. Unfortunately, most chairs are not built with back and neck support in mind. I like to get a chair that has either low back or neck support. If you choose a chair with low back support, it will straighten your back by curving your lower back. If you choose a chair with neck support, it will give you a padded cushion to rest your neck, giving you cervical support. Because I have neck problems from sticking my head too far forward, I have a chair with neck support so I can remember to not put my head beyond my shoulders. You can find great ergonomic chairs for under $100 but I personally like this one because it is one of the few that has both low back and neck support.
7. Strengthen the supporting muscles
Because you are sitting all day, your muscles become inactive. And when they are inactive, they become weak. As they become weak, they do not have enough strength to hold your body up. That is why it is extremely important to strength train. When I say strenght train, I do not mean power lifting. I mean working out your muscles so your muscles can carry your weight so you can live the life you want without pain. So what kind of exercises should you do? If you have neck and upper back pain, you need to work out your scapula, trapezius, lats, and rhomboids. All those muscles can be worked by doing three exercises: military presses, dumbbell rows, and y-raises. If you have low back pain, you need to strengthen your core. Your core includes the lower back, glutes (the butt), abs, hip flexors, and pelvic floor muscles. You can strengthen your core muscles simply by doing planks and supermans.
Doing strengthening exercises will allow you to correct your posture a lot easier because your muscles will allow you to straighten your back.
8. Do yoga
If you are sitting most of the day, you NEED to do yoga at least twice a week. Yoga does a great job of stretching out a lot of the muscles that tighten when you are sitting most of the day. What you should do is find a coupon to take introductory classes so you can get a feel of how to do yoga (such as proper breathing technique and posture). After you have gone through all the beginner classes, you can opt to continue with group classes or you can do yoga for free on Netflix, Hulu, or Youtube.
9. Correct posture
A simple correction of posture will do the trick for some when it comes to alleviating back pain. So what is correct posture? Correct posture means you are sitting straight with your ears in line with your shoulders. So this means your back isn’t round. If your back is round, it will tilt your head forward and your ears will go in front of your shoulders, causing neck pain that trickles down your spine as it compensates. This illustration below shows the correct posture for sitting in a regular chair at the office:
10. Sit using a stability ball
A stability ball, or a yoga ball, is great for straightening your posture and alleviating back pain. Because it only offers very basic support for sitting, it promotes maintaining your posture for added stability. Sitting on a stability ball also allows your muscles to move around so that they do not stay in one place and tighten. And because you no longer rely on the back of the chair for support, your core muscles will get a small workout that is enough to keep lose and from losing strength. In addition, because you move more on a stability ball, you will burn more calories; the more you move ,the more calories you burn, simple as that.
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