POSTURAL EXERCI

AUTHORS

Text: Popa-Florea Patricia, Stănilă Ştefania, Zah Anda

Research: Zah Anda

Photos: Popa-Florea Patricia, Stănilă Ştefania

INTRODUCTION

If your daily routine involves sitting on a chair for 8 hours or longer, looking at a computer screen
for a long time in a hunched over position and feeling too tired to go to the gym after work, we offer
you an effective physical exercise program that can be easily completed even at home.
It is important to know that sitting for long periods of time makes shoulders hunch forward and the
shoulder girdle lose its mobility. As a result, the cervical spine as well as the lower back suffers excessive
curvature. Moreover, improper sitting position may lead to lower back deformation. Prolonged sitting
also causes some muscles (especially the thigh and leg muscles) to remain flexed or extended for a long
time. In these circumstances, certain muscle groups are idle determining other muscles to compensate
while performing different movements. Our exercises will allow you to regain an anatomically correct
posture and will restore the proper functions of various muscles. They will also return the spine curves
tonormal.
It is essential to pay proper attention to each exercise and follow the instructions. If you feel that the
number of repetitions is too high or the time to hold a position is too long, reduce until you feel
comfortable. Increase day by day until you reach the recommended number of repetitions or length of
time. For optimal results, we recommend following the order of the exercises as given below.
EXERCISES
1. This exercise creates horizontal alignment between shoulder and pelvis. With the help of gravity
the upper torso relaxes. It is very efficient for back and lower back pains.
Lie on your back with your calves resting on a block, chair or bed, knees bent at 90 degrees. Place your
arms out to the sides at 45 degrees from your body with palms up (Fig. 1). Let the back settle into the
floor to allow the back muscles to relax. Don’t worry if your knees move laterally a bit. After several
minutes (depending on the individual) you will feel bones making contact with the floor and the arch in
your lower back will flatten. Hold this position for 5-10 minutes. Breathe normally and relax. If holding
this position seems too boring, you can listen to music. But don’t watch TV! For severe upper back pain
or lower back pain, we recommend holding this position for 15 minutes.