One thing almost everyone I see has in common these days is tight shoulders and mid/upper back. They have “text neck” or “baby carrying shoulders” or both!
After the past year plus of everything being online and now many things remaining online, tight shoulders and forward head posture are the achy side effects that even blue blocker glasses can’t fix.
The issue is with our posture, as we sit and look forward we tend to round the shoulders forward and send the head forward towards the scree. There are a few things you can do to help alleviate the strain on your body.
Fix the height of your monitor so you do not have to look down or lean forward to see it well.
Use a few book to lift up a laptop or raise the desk surface if possible, there are stands for monitors and laptops to help you get your monitor to the ideal place as well. Check out he options at your local office supply store, I like this Etsy store option for laptops https://www.etsy.com/listing/881514187/
There are also stands that will make your desk into a standing desk!
As for your chair, make sure you can sit up on your sitting bones and have your feel flat on the floor. Take breaks whenever you can, walk around, step outside if you can this will help your eyes, nervous system and hips as well as the shoulders and rest of your body.
Even with all these adjustments you may find aches and pains creep in to your shoulders and back after a day on zoom.
Your mid back becomes weaker over time with the forward head and shoulder posture which ironically makes it harder to have ideal posture and leads to using the upper back and shoulders more making them even tighter. This snowball leads to headaches and shoulder and back pain.
How do you strengthen the mid back so you can have ideal posture and don’t slump in the chair you may be wondering? I got you!
I made a short video with a few exercises you can do anywhere there is a wall. Take a break from sitting and try it out! Let me know how your shoulders, neck and back feel afterwards.
It’s a movement snack at the wall!