It’s the constant incorrect postures we put ourselves in on a daily basis that develops muscle tension over time, rather than one improper twist or movement producing a painful incident, like a back spasm that needs immediate treatment.
“Some people think it’s just one thing that caused their pain,” said Glen Gadwood of Function Fitness Personal Training in Green Bay, WI.
“What we see are a lot of back injuries, neck injuries – most of those are related to people who are sitting for their job or sitting a lot at home. Those positions over time will cause tightness issues which aren’t necessarily where we have the pain. Things will get tight in the muscles that are in front of us because those are the ones that get shortened in a sitting position, but the pain will then occur in someone’s back.”
Gadwood said it’s crucial to help people recognize how to correct the postures that are causing their problems in order to help them avoid more pain and injuries over time.
“We actually try to figure out the why. What’s the cause that’s producing this effect? We’ll do a thorough assessment on them and try to figure out what muscles aren’t doing the job and which ones are doing too much?”
Gadwood recommends a few tips to help people with desk jobs stay healthy and pain free.
“The best advice I can give to somebody is, don’t stay in the same position all the time. Get up and move around and get some blood flowing. … And drink water. Your muscles are 70% water. If you’re not hydrated you’re going to feel stiff all the time.”
He also said standing, checking your posture while sitting and making sure you’re not craning your neck forward when on the computer is important as well. Even taking a moment to get up and walk around the office can make a world of difference for your muscles.
