Core Exercises?! Like I have time for that!……… Sound familiar? Read on!
In our ever busy lives it is hard to stop to take a breath, let alone focus on core exercises to improve your posture. But you can fit it in…it’s all about adding the little things! Your commute to and from work is the perfect opportunity!
Whether you arrive to work by car, bus, train, ferry or unicorn it is the perfect time to work on some basic exercises to ensure that your sitting position is as good as possible for the rest of the day. Here are three simple exercises you can do daily to improve your sitting posture and evade that omnipresent threat of work related lower back or neck pain.
Welcome to the Bend + Mend Commuter Triangle.
One. Sit Down.
Unfortunately correct sitting posture isn’t something that can be achieved as instantaneously as a boss offloading a pile of paperwork. It is something that needs to be trained. This exercise is a great start. Assume an unsupported seated position and make sure you are sitting high on your sitting bones (rock your pelvis back and forth until you find them.) Then move the weight slowly out of one leg as if you were about to lift up the foot but don’t. You should feel a gentle contraction of your lower abdominals and buttock muscles. Repeat ten times alternating sides. If done correctly the people around you should be unaware of your time management perfection.
Two. Stand up.
The beauty of commuting with public transport is they give you an opportunity for standing balance practice on an unstable surface. No wobble board or BOSU required! Chivalry isn’t dead with this exercise! Offer your seat to someone less in tune with their body needs and utilize this moving gym class. The aim of this exercise is similar to the one above. With slightly bent knees, shift body weight out of one foot and into the other. The aim is to minimize the movement of your hips as your weight shifts across. Again, no need to lift the foot entirely discretion is easy!
Three. Sit or Stand.
A major driver for posture related neck pain is an imbalance of muscles around the neck and shoulder. Specifically, over-activity at the front and weakness at the back. This exercise is to remedy this imbalance. Place your hand on your stomach above the belly button and below the sternum with the elbow out to the side like a teapot handle. Ensure the shoulder blade is slightly drawn towards the mid back. Apply a small pressure through the hand as though you were trying to hug yourself. You should feel a small increase in muscle tension at the back of the shoulder blade.
The beauty of these exercises is that they are simple and can be done everyday on the way to and from work. You should be aiming for 2-3 sets of 10 for each exercise. For continuing a self antidote to modern career driven pain, contact our Sydney CBD Physio and Pilates clinic today!
