Almost everyone knows and talks about the fact that vision deteriorates from programming , but few people think about an equally important part of the body – the back.
I personally have already earned myself a fair amount of back problems and want to help others avoid it.
In this post, I touched on the key points and errors in the questions
- How we sit
- What are we sitting on
- Charging
- Sport
1. How we sit
Much has already been said in How do we sit? from odionysus So I will try not to duplicate, just give the key points and add something:
- The back is pressed against the back of the chair. From the buttocks to the neck. Necessarily! And if you slouched over, do not hold the weight with your back, lean on your elbow.
- We put our feet in front of us and vertically to the floor. We do not tuck under ourselves.
- Pose “foot to foot” – in no case.
- Hands lie, not hang in the air.
At first it will not be so easy, and it will seem that sitting like that is more difficult. But, believe me, over time your body will like it. Learn to listen to it, pay attention to which muscles are tense, and try to relax them.
Pretending to be a monument (a la Peter I in Petropavlovka) is also not necessary – periodically change your posture. The angle of inclination of the back of the chair is higher and lower, the feet are a little closer, further, etc. By the way, the ideal back slope is 135%, i.e. almost reclining, it’s certainly nice, but it’s difficult to work .
2. What we sit on
Much has been said about backrests, headrests, adjustments, etc. I will focus on the most important and outrageous.
Most cheap Chinese chairs do not support the back. The backrest fastening mechanism based on clamping with a bolt on the side or compressing the spring from below – will surely loosen up in six months. The result is that the back of the chair does not support the weight and you automatically lean forward, hunch over, hold your back with your muscles, etc. … in general, horror.
Hence the main requirement for the chair is the ability to rigidly fix the position of the back.
In addition, it is desirable that the back of the chair bend forward at the lumbar level.
I can put a plus sign on chairs from Ikea , although they are more expensive than analogues, they fulfill these requirements.
3. Charging
Everybody probably already knows that from time to time it is necessary to get up and warm up. Do this at least once an hour.
There are special sets of exercises for the prevention of osteochondrosis, I don’t want to copy-paste , read for example here . On my own I will add – many advise push-ups, and this is correct, but not always realistic in an office environment. Push-ups can be replaced as follows: we approach the door, almost reaching, rest our hands on the left and right jamb and try to push them forward. As the physiotherapist said, advising this exercise, “the back will thank you.” As an alternative to the horizontal bar – we stand against the wall, heels, legs, buttocks, back, head – are constantly pressed against the wall. We raise our hands and reach up, without lifting anything from the wall or feet from the floor, as if we want to get something. Note , in all descriptions of exercises there is always the word “smoothly”. Sharp waving of the head left and right and other movements can end badly, seriously.
4. Sports
Now there is a whole blog about the fact that you need to do sports. I note that swimming is most useful for the back. Pilates is also advised , but I have not tried it yet, I can not say anything.
The rocking chair also has a lot of back machines. For example – lifting the body, being face down and fixing the legs and pelvis. Any simulators where you pull something on yourself, from top to bottom, or better from top to bottom along a circular path.
By the way, the tone of the press is very important, a pumped up press is very conducive to correct posture.
If back problems have already begun, it is better to avoid vertical loads on the spine, i.e. lifting weights by the force of the legs resting on the shoulders, or with the hands down.
Well, and above all, if you carry a briefcase or a handbag on your shoulder – change your shoulder, if a backpack – put it on both shoulders or change if one.
UPD As you correctly recalled in the comments – don’t forget about the doctor. If something already bothers you, hurts, etc. – first go to a neurologist (or whoever else is doing this). Tips for exercise, sports, etc. gave on personal experience, having an initial osteochondrosis of the cervical vertebrae. If you have something more serious, you may not be able to do stretching exercises, for example. A doctor is required ! PS In general, everything. I’m afraid it turned out a little chaotic. If there are responses and interest, I will try to develop any of the topics. Thanks for attention.