Stretching Keeps Muscles Loose and Prevents Injury

Who would have thought that you can be injured working a desk job?

The truth is that you probably won’t be injured at the job, unless Kevin from accounting throws a stapler at you again.  But sitting all day long is a way to keep your body out of shape, and prone to injury elsewhere.

One of the best ways to prevent injury is to make sure you’ve stretched.  Stretching helps loosen those muscles, wakes your body up, and gets the blood flowing.  Combine these with a brisk walk around the office (it doesn’t have to be long; just a couple hundred steps) and a glass of water, and you’ll be feeling better throughout the day.

Here are 6 stretches your Billings chiropractor recommends.

Seated Trap Stretch

Your trapezius, or trap, muscles are in your upper back and neck.  Hunched over a keyboard all day long can make these things tight and sore.  Fortunately they’re easy to loosen.  Hang your hand straight down, and tilt your neck to the opposite side.  Hold for a few seconds, and then do the other side.

Bruegger’s Stretch

With your arms out and down, hold your palms forward.  Then pull both arms back at the same time like you’re trying to pinch a pencil between your shoulder blades.  This will pull on your chest and open things back up.

Neck Stretches

Neck stretches are some of the easiest to do, and some of the easiest to do incorrectly.  Often people will go through the neck stretches too quickly and with a jerking motion.  Instead, lower your chin down as though you’re looking at the floor.  Slowly hold as the back of your neck stretches.  Smoothly roll your head to the side, hold, and then the other way.  The key is to go slowly and in a fluid motion.

Seated Scapular CARS

Your shoulders can get to aching when seated at a computer for a long period of time.  Loosen them up with some simple shoulder rolls and shrugs.  With your arms at your side, move just the shoulders in a slow circular motion.  Complete three revolutions and then go the opposite direction.  Shrugs are just as they sound, drop your shoulders as far as they will go, and shrug them up as high as they will go.

Shoulder Stretch

One of your easier stretches to do, the shoulder stretch just crosses your arm in front of you.  Extend your arm straight out, then rotate to the opposite side of the body.  Using the opposite arm, push your extended arm toward your body and hold for a few seconds.  Repeat with the other arm.

Upper Arm Stretch

Point your arm at the ceiling.  Bend at the elbow so that your hand is behind your head.  With the opposite hand grab the bent elbow and pull toward that side of your body.  This simple stretch will help loosen up those shoulders and upper arms, and if my description isn’t all that, just check out the video.

Come see a Chiropractor in Billings if You have Pain

Pain isn’t just annoying, it can be debilitating.  Trying to ignore it and hope it goes away on its own is a recipe to make things worse.

Instead, come visit us here at your local chiropractor office.  Dr. Shayne Durbin will help take care of that pain, and then with some simple exercises and stretches at home you can stay pain free between adjustments.

Ready to make an appointment?  We have an online appointment request button, or call us at 406-545-2128 and we’ll get you on the schedule.