Essential stretches for screen work

Stretching when working on a screen is essential. Why ? Working on screen has become the " Daily Routine "many workers around the world and has been accentuated with the digitization of the company. But did you know that working on screen can have serious consequences, both physically and psychologically. And yes ! When working on a screen, we tend to forget about our body and adopt bad work postures l: arched back, repetitive movement, squinting or on the contrary getting too close to our screen. While working on the computer, problems related to stress , to the visual fatigue , TMS ( diseases that affect the joints,

muscles and tendons ) may appear.

So, when one is obliged, by virtue of his profession, to accomplish tasks on a computer, how to adopt THE right work posture for almost 7 hours a day?

The answer is simply to DO NOT keep the same position ! And yes, it is necessary MOVE regularly, get up and stretch! We give you today 10 easy tips to avoid pain, to reproduce in the office or at home.

10 tips for easy stretching in the office or at home

Stretches for the neck and shoulders

We will start this series of stretches with areas that are often affected: the neck and shoulders. Without even realizing it, this area is heavily used when working on a computer. Here are 6 tips for stretching your neck and shoulders.

Raise your shoulders

Shoulder stretches

At the shoulder level, our first tip is to simply perform an upward shoulder movement and hold the position for 5 seconds. Repeat this gesture 3 times.

"The double chin"

Cervical stretches

On the cervical side, we advise you to tilt your head back and "force" the double chin (not very glamorous but you will thank us). Hold the position for 20 seconds, gently release. Repeat this movement 5 times.

"You make my head spin"

Cervical stretches

Another gesture to adopt: head rotations. You just need to rotate your head in each direction (this is important). To repeat twice .

We wrap our shoulders

Shoulder stretches

Release the tension in your shoulders by curling your shoulders forward, then back. Be careful to keep your back and neck straight and aligned. Don't apply too much pressure. To repeat 5 times .

We pull on the arms

Trapezius stretches

This exercise will stretch the trapezoids. Be careful, to do it with delicacy and always without forcing! With your hands behind your back, pull your left arm down while tilting your head to the opposite side. Do the same with the right arm. Hold the position for 10 seconds per arm.

Hands behind your head!

Back stretches

If you are wondering, no, you are not preparing for a role in a detective film. This exercise will stretch the upper back area and the lower part of the neck . To achieve this stretch, try visualizing a pen between your two shoulder blades and as if you wanted to "squish" it. To be repeated several times a day.

How to stretch the back, arms, back muscles?

When we feel pains in this area precisely, the biggest mistake not to make is to stay static (partly because of the pain). As advocated by Health Insurance : " Back pain ? The right treatment is movement ". Here is a series of 3 movements to stretch your back, your arms but also your back muscles.

Back, arm stretches

A very deep stretch to relieve your back, your arms and also your back muscles. With your fingers intertwined, extend your arms as high as possible and tilt your trunk to the right then to the left. To repeat several times a day (30 seconds)

how to stretch your arms and shoulders

Then extend your arms as far in front of you as possible. To repeat several times a day (30 seconds)

We stretch our backs, arms and backs

Finally, extend your arms as far behind you, to stretch this same area. To repeat several times a day (30 seconds)

The easiest for the end.

Back pain ? The right treatment is movement

It might sound obvious, but many workers don't think about .... just get up! When working on a computer and / or concentrating on a file, we tend to adopt a static working posture , which can cause pain (back pain, neck pain, MSD) and fatigue (visual, psychological). Remember to get up at least once an hour and do our different stretches explained above. Not being a smoker does not mean "no break". You can stretch your legs, have tea or coffee. A few minutes are enough.

Our team also encourages you to adopt the Opti-1 ergonomic document holder to ensure and maintain good posture throughout the day! You can also follow our advice for set up your office during teleworking . feel free to share article on social media and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.