Contrary to the belief of many, physical jobs aren’t the only form of occupation which cause niggling aches and pains throughout the body. Desk workers which are seated all day are also at risk of pain, with research by BMJ Open finding up to 70% of people reporting baseline pain in the neck-shoulder region.
The good news is that there are many desk exercises that you can do without leaving your chair, however the benefits of office stretches are best experienced upon it becoming a habit. Performing desk exercises very infrequently won’t provide long term pain relief because you will still be sedentary most of the time.
The most common pains from a desk job are:
- Upper back and shoulders
- Lower back and hips
- Neck
- Wrist
Let’s dive into some office stretches which you can incorporate as part of your desk exercise routine.