The 5 best exercises to counteract your bad desk posture

The 5 best exercises to counteract yur bad desk postureThe 5 best exercises to counteract your bad desk postureFor most desk-job workers, sitting at a desk for hours at a time is unavoidable. And when this happens, its hard to maintain a perfect posture. Despite our best intentions, as the day goes on our shoulders round and our heads start to inch forward closer to our monitors. This bad desk posture can causeserious health problemsover time.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhen you chronically slouch at your desk, the muscles on the back of your neck and shoulders begin to lengthen and become underactive. Your chest muscles, on the other hand, become tight and shortened. These muscle imbalances can result in permanent muscle deformities over time, if not properly corrected. Luckily, some exercises can help you reverse these imbalances before its too late. These five exercises w ill make it easier for you to maintain good posture at your desk. For best results, its important that you do them regularly - daily, if possible.1. Chin TuckStepsabflug sitting or standing with your shoulders rolled back and down. While looking straight ahead, place two fingers on your chin, slightly tuck your chin and attempt to draw your head directly back without tilting it up or down. Hold for two to three seconds and return to the starting sttte. Repeat the exercise 10 times.Why its effectiveThis exercise helps reverse that forward-head posture. Its also effective at relieving neck pain and headaches.2. Shoulder RetractionStepsBegin by standing upright with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders down and back and a neutral head. Bend both elbows to a 90-degree angle, keeping your triceps glued to your sides and your forearms out in front of you. Begin to move your forearms to the back of your body until both hands are parallel to your sides, squeezing your shoulder blades toget her throughout the entire movement. Hold the end position for five to 10 seconds. Complete three to five repetitions.Why its effectiveThis exercise strengthens the muscles that are responsible for keeping your shoulder blades retracted, making it easier for you to avoid the urge to round your shoulders when youre seated at your desk.3. Doorway StretchStepsBegin by standing in a doorway with the right side of your body close to one of the door jambs. Assume a staggered stance, with your right foot in front of your left. Lift your right arm so that its parallel to the floor and bend your right elbow to a 90-degree angle so that the fingers of your right hand are pointing toward the ceiling. Maintain this position, placing your right hand and forearm on the door jamb. Slowly lean into your raised arm and push against the door jamb until you feel a gentle stretch in the chest and right shoulder - hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat this exercise three times with each arm.Why its effectiv eIt loosens the tight chest muscles that become shortened when you chronically slouch at your desk.4. SupermansStepsStart by laying on the floor in a prone position (on your stomach, facing the floor). Extend your arms straight out in front of you so that they are parallel to the ground. Lift your arms and legs off the ground as high as you can while still keeping your stomach and pelvis pressed into the floor. Hold this position for five to 10 seconds, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position and repeat three to five times.Why its effectiveAlthough this exercise is commonly known for its butt-toning abilities, its also great for combatting the rounded-shoulder effect that frequent sitting has on many of us desk job workers.5. T-Spine Mobility ExerciseStepsBegin on all fours, with your knees directly underneath your hips and you hands underneath your shoulders. Place one hand on the back of your head with your elbow pointing toward the floor. Rotate y our chest until your bent elbow points towards the ceiling. Lower back to the starting position and repeat the exercise eight times before switching arms. Pro tip Make sure that youre keeping your hips square and your lower back as still as possible throughout the entire movement.Why its effectiveA lack of mobility in the thoracic spine can cause your shoulders to slump forward due to inactive upper-back muscles. This exercise will help you regain mobility in your upper back, allowing you to stand upright and taking some of the weight off of your lower back.Sign up forDaily Fit by Swirled, our newsletter featuring a wohlbefinden tip of the day and must-read health news from around the web Youll be one step closer to living a healthy, balanced life.This article first appeared on Swirled.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily sc hedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people