It’s a well-known fact that sitting at the computer all day can be very unhealthy, especially if you’re sitting in the same position for hours at a time. That combined with hunching the shoulders and sitting in an uncomfortable chair can lead to chronic pain and injury. So what are you to do if your job requires you to sit for the better part of your work day?
Experts recommend taking a movement break for one to three minutes every 30 to 45 minutes. These movement breaks can be anything from taking a short walk, standing at your desk or doing the following stretches.
1. Shoulder Shrug: Sit or stand with your back straight. Lift shoulders up towards the ears, squeezing them as hard as you can for 2 seconds and then let them relax. Repeat 8 to 10 reps.
2. Torso Stretch: Stand, lace fingers together and stretch them up towards the ceiling, take a deep breath and stretch up as high as you can. Lean to the right and left while you stretch. Exhale open arms and repeat 8 to 10 times.
3. Neck Stretch: While sitting in your chair with straight back, grab the side of the seated part of your chair with your right hand. Gently pull while tilting your head to the left. You should feel a gentle stretch down the right side of neck and shoulder. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
4. Seated hip stretch: while sitting in your chair, cross your right ankle over the left knee. Lean forward with a straight back until you can feel a stretch in the right glute and hip. Hold stretch for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat five times on each side.
5. Forearm stretch: Stand and stretch right arm out and rotate hand so fingers point towards the floor. Use your left hand to pull fingers toward you. This should give a nice stretch in your forearm. Switch to the left arm. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat 5 to 10 times.
These stretches can help to relieve tight muscles and improve flexibility. If you are experiencing neck pain, shoulder pain, back pain, forearm or wrist pain, hip pain or any other pains as a result of too much time at your desk, it might be time for a physiotherapy assessment! Let us improve your workday! 
