Back Health & Movement Snacks

Spinal complaints are uncomfortable and can have serious consequences. To prevent these and stay productive, muscles and ligaments need regular and conscious stress. Otherwise, the structures of the musculoskeletal system regress or become tense, resulting in pain. A large portion of people spend the majority of their day sitting, whether in the office, car, or on the couch in the evening. Many find it difficult to incorporate back exercises into their daily lives. Today, we have helpful tips on how you can easily strengthen your back.

Correct desk and seat height are essential in the office. It’s important to ensure that the upper and lower arms, as well as the upper and lower legs, form right angles. The seat of the chair should be fully utilized, and the chair’s backrest should be straight against the back. Tilting the pelvis slightly makes it easier to sit upright.

To keep your back fit despite long working hours in the office, it is advisable to incorporate small movements in between. This can prevent tension and fatigue and increase your well-being. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or go for a short walk during your lunch break. You can also do a squat every time you get up or rotate your shoulders at your desk. Even the smallest movements will do your back good.

Movements that go beyond everyday life are also good for your back. Back-friendly strength training or methods such as Pilates, yoga and stretching strengthen your back, tone your muscles and improve your flexibility. Sports with steady movements are also well suited to back training. For example, jogging and backstroke are recommended.

When shopping, we often tend to pack everything into one bag and carry it with one hand. This puts unilateral stress on the spine. Over time, unilateral stress can lead to serious problems. It’s advisable to evenly distribute the shopping between two bags or pack it into a backpack and carry it on the shoulders.

Even in everyday activities like cleaning or gardening, poor postures can quickly occur. It’s important to always try to keep your back as straight as possible to avoid curvatures. To lift heavy objects, you should always squat first and then stand up straight. This way, you push yourself up from the legs and avoid excessive back strain.

You can also do something for your back when you sleep. The firmness of the mattress and the height of the pillow are crucial here. When buying a bed and mattress, it is important to ensure that they feel comfortable and to choose the right firmness level. This also depends on your preferred sleeping position and body weight. We can recommend that you get sufficient advice from experts when buying.

Stress and back pain are often linked. Mental stress causes the muscles to tense up. Prolonged physical stress reactions that are not balanced out by sufficient rest or exercise can lead to poor posture and cause pain. To prevent stress-related back pain, relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation or meditation, heat treatments, a balanced diet, sufficient sleep and massages can help.

In everyday life, we have many sedentary tasks to perform, so we often remain in the same position for several hours. In particular, the duration and lack of breaks have negative effects on health. Four and a half hours of continuous sitting cannot be completely compensated for by physical activity in the evening.

More effective are short sitting breaks, during which you stand up and move for a few minutes, known as movement snacks. These are short movement units for mobilization, which can be easily integrated into (work) everyday life due to their low time requirement. The various exercises for strength and flexibility activate muscles and circulation, counteracting the health risks of sitting and strengthening back health. Movement snacks provide new energy, a strengthened musculoskeletal system, and increased concentration, as your circulation gets going again, helping you avoid the midday slump. We’ll show you how to incorporate sitting breaks into your day, make effective use of them, and improve your performance.

It doesn’t take much to incorporate movement breaks into your daily routine. Just 5 minutes per hour are enough. And if you have even less time, no problem – it’s better to mobilize your body for a few minutes than not at all. In the Teamfit app, you’ll find movement snacks with various exercises, depending on your needs and time. To not forget your sitting breaks, you can set a reminder on your phone or schedule a reminder in your calendar. Additionally, you can also try to make your everyday life more mobile by taking the stairs instead of the elevator or walking around while on the phone.

Exercise is ideal for preventing back pain and keeping the spine healthy. Even very short sessions help alleviate physical discomfort from sitting. Let’s get started! Treat yourself to the first movement snack in the Teamfit app on your way to a healthy work routine.