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 of 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.

Loughborough University’s Christmas and New Year health and wellbeing campaign is aimed at using the knowledge and experience of academics and professionals to give advice about physical and mental wellness over the festive season and into next year.

Follow the latest campaign content by searching for the #LboroExperts hashtag on Twitter, or on our Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: PR 18/21

Loughborough University is equipped with a live in-house broadcast unit via the Globelynx network. To arrange an interview with one of our experts please contact the press office on 01509 223491. Bookings can be made online via www.globelynx.com

Loughborough is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world to study sports-related subjects in the 2017 QS World University Rankings and top in the country for its student experience in the 2016 THE Student Experience Survey.

Loughborough is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 6th in the Guardian University League Table 2018, 7th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2018 and 10th in The UK Complete University Guide 2018. It was also named Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2017.

Loughborough is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, Loughborough has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The Loughborough University London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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