Current Students and Staff

// University News

30 Jan 2018

Four key exercises to help desk workers avoid back pain

Office workers often complain of back pain, a sore neck or just bad posture. Excessive desk time is undoubtedly bad for your body, even if your workstation is set up in the best possible way.

Loughborough Sport experts decided to use Health and Wellbeing Week to highlight four simple exercises that they believe can help minimise the risk of prolonged sitting.

Gemma Lord, a member of Loughborough University’s world leading Physiotherapy Clinic, was keen to highlight how posture is so often overlooked.

“People often neglect this area instead focusing on diet and exercise. It’s really important to do regular small movements to help rectify our bad posture.

“The long term dangers of sitting at your desk for extended periods of time and not doing anything about it can include pain, an upper or lower back injury and ultimately time off work, training and doing things that you enjoy. Nobody wants that, and with a few simple steps you can go a long way to preventing it.”

In the video above Gemma outlines four key exercises to help desk workers relieve tension and pain, and strengthen those areas of their body that are at the most risk.

Taking less than five minutes, the exercises are a simple, pain free way of looking after your body, without the need for an expensive gym membership or venturing out into the cold. You can even complete one of the exercises at your desk during the working day! Getting up regularly to make a drink or go to the bathroom will help break up sitting time, but these quick, easy exercises could really help keep your posture in check.

For further information about the Loughborough Physiotherapy Clinic or to book an appointment, simply click here.