Prevent Neck & Shoulder Pain With Simple Exercises At Your Desk

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that add up slowly over time and can impact your health in a big way. 

Small things like wearing that heavy bag on the same shoulder every day, slouching in your chair, or sneaking an extra cookie a little too often! 
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Working at a desk or computer is one of those “little” things that is just a normal part of your day and it may seem harmless, but the stress can add up over time and cause neck and shoulder pain for A LOT of people.  

​So, today I want to talk about the importance of doing some simple exercises throughout your workday, especially since we spend so much time AT WORK!

The average full-time worker spends 2000 hours at work in a years’ time!

Now…if you work at a computer all day, think of how many hours you actually spend sitting down.

Even if you have the luxury of a sit-stand desk, you are still stuck in one spot all day…at your computer not moving a whole lot and likely developing poor posture.

It’s no wonder you have shoulder and neck pain!

That’s why it’s so important to find ways you can exercise at work and keep your body moving as much as possible. 
Here are a few tips that can help you prevent neck and shoulder pain or help ease your pain if you’re already noticing some aching and stiffness. 

STRETCH BEFORE WORK
Doing some light stretching or a few yoga poses in the morning before work is a great way to get your muscles and joints moving for the day, especially since you’ve been sleeping (and not moving) all night and won’t be moving much at work all day. 

Stretching after work is just as important to unwind all the stress and stiffness that builds up at work all day.  This is a great way to transition from your workday and shift your focus to your family and what needs to be done at home in the evening.

Or if you prefer, stretching or some yoga before bed is just as beneficial and calming, which can help you relax and get to sleep even faster.

It doesn’t have to take very long, and you might be surprised by how much of a difference just a few minutes of light stretching will make in your day.

GET UP AND MOVE
Don’t forget to get up and move around at work at least once every 30 minutes to an hour.  This could be as simple as standing up and stretching your legs, walking to the water cooler or walking across the office to talk to a colleague instead of messaging them from your computer.

If you work from home, maybe you’d walk to the kitchen for a cold glass of water instead, but either way just get up and move.   

Your lunch break is a great opportunity to take a short 10-to-15-minute walk, preferably outside where you can get some fresh air too if you can.

DO SIMPLE EXERCISES AT YOUR DESK
There are several simple exercises that can also be done from your desk that can be a wonderful addition to stretching at home and finding times to get up and move a little more in your day, especially if you find yourself stuck in the middle of a project or meeting that might delay your break. 

Desk Angels
If you remember doing snow angels as a kid (or an adult…?!) you’re already halfway there. 

Start by sitting up tall in your chair with your arms to your sides and raise your arms overhead (like a snow angel).  Then with your arms still overhead move your arms straight back until you notice a stretch in your shoulders and mid-back.  Hold for a few seconds and repeat this 5-10 times.

Shoulder Blade Squeeze
Start by sitting up tall in your chair with your arms by your sides and shoulders relaxed.  Use the muscles between your shoulder blades to squeeze your shoulder blades together.  Hold for a few seconds and repeat this 5-10 times.

Keeping the muscles between your shoulder blades strong will improve your posture and reduce stress and pressure on your neck and shoulders, especially when sitting at a computer all day.

Two-Part Neck Stretch
Start by sitting up tall in your chair (do you see a theme here…LOL!) with your shoulders relaxed.  Slowly tilt your head straight to the right until you feel a stretch on the left side of your neck.  Hold this for a few seconds, then keeping your head tilted to the side slowly let your head fall forward until you feel the stretch shift to the back of your neck and/or top of your left shoulder.  Hold for a few seconds.  Repeat to the opposite side and then repeat several times on each side.

Remember, it’s the little things in life that add up and can impact your health…good and bad!

Just like sneaking an extra cookie a little too often can add up to a few extra pounds, replacing that cookie with a healthier snack will help you lose a few pounds.

Similarly, sitting at your computer all day can cause stress and tension to build up causing neck and shoulder pain, and adding a little extra movement and few simple stretches into your workday can help prevent it or even reverse it.  

Give these tips a try, but if you'd like more help to solve your neck and shoulder pain even faster look below for more ways we can help. 

​OTHER NATURAL WAYS TO EASE NECK & SHOULDER PAIN
If despite your best efforts your neck and/or shoulder pain doesn’t resolve within a couple weeks, it may be time to give us a call for some professional help. 

We understand that everyone is at a different place when it comes to deciding about something like physical therapy, so we have a few options to choose from below.

If you know you're ready to get help from a physical therapy specialist, just give us a call at 503-744-0046 to schedule or click the link below to fill out a short form and we’ll call you to arrange a time for your Initial Evaluation & Treatment Session.

Click Here To Arrange To See A Physical Therapy Specialist

If you’re still a little unsure if physical therapy is the right solution for your neck or shoulder pain problem, you might want to start with a FREE In-Person Discovery Visit.  This gives you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have and discover:

• What’s wrong
• What your options are to fix the problem
• How long it might take
• What the cost will be
• How you can speed up the process by doing things at home.

If you would like to take advantage of one of our FREE Discovery Visits, simply click the link below to complete a quick and easy form and we’ll be in touch to arrange a time for your consultation.

Click Here To Arrange Your FREE Discovery Visit

There is no obligation!  After your consultation if you decide you want to work with us, great!  We can't wait to see your transformation unfold!  If not, we will try to guide you to the right person to help you. 


More Information To Help Stop Your Neck or Shoulder Pain
If you want to get even more neck and shoulder pain advice right now, then download our free e-book entitled:
“7 Natural Ways To STOP Shoulder & Neck Pain…Without Pain Pills, Injections or Surgery!
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This e-book is packed with powerful, but simple strategies to help you start your journey toward living without neck and shoulder pain.

Yes! I Want The Free E-BOOK

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​You can also check out more of our blogs for even more health tips by clicking the link below.
Click Here For More Neck & Shoulder Pain Tips