Pain-Relieving Stretches You Can Do Seated in a Chair

A sedentary lifestyle can leave our joints and muscles aching in need of a good stretch, but many people are limited in time and have other restrictions that make daily exercising a real struggle. No matter if you’re a busy bee toiling away at work all day, a hardworking student, or a senior limited in their range of motion, this seated stretch routine will bring relief from pain and tightness in the muscles and tendons and other musculoskeletal conditions.

All 7  of these beginner-friendly stretches can be done in a chair and are equally simple and effective at relieving pain and tightness in different areas of the body.

1. Neck Stretch

Needless to say, you can simply tilt your head back and forth or rotate it in circles to loosen up a tight neck, but if you're looking for a deeper stretch, this neck exercise is just what you need. This particular stretch is also very safe, as by raising your arm over the head, you're actually making your upper back straighten up, and this can help prevent your neck from getting hurt.

Directions:

1. Sit up straight and raise your right arm overhead, resting your right palm over the left ear. Try to avoid your right elbow from going forward, as this can strain your neck.

2. Slowly and gently bend your head to the right while simultaneously pressing your head against the right hand. You will start feeling a stretch on the left side of the neck.

3. Hold for 2-3 minutes and then repeat on the other side. You can repeat the stretch as many times as you'd like.  

2. Heart Opener

This is one of the most powerful stretches you can do for your upper body, as it activates your shoulders, arms, and chest muscles, and makes your upper spine straighten up right away, so it is truly a heart opener. This stretch is especially useful for those of you who work at the computer or read a lot, as it is essentially the opposite of hunching forward, so it will bring relief to a stiff neck and aching shoulders, and can even help you breathe easier, as it stretches the entire ribcage.

Directions:

1. Sit at the edge of your chair and take hold of the back of the chair, like the trainer does in the image above. It is important to pull down the shoulders and bring the shoulder blades as close together as possible to feel an effective stretch.

2. If you don't feel any effect right away, simply continue breathing and you will soon start feeling a pleasant stretch in your neck, shoulders, and chest. To deepen the stretch, you can also raise your hands further up on the back of the chair.

3. Hold this position for 3-5 minutes and repeat as many times a day as you'd like.

3. Forearm Shoulder Stretch

Here is another stretch that targets the shoulder muscles, but it's a lot gentler and more focused than the previous one. The exercise targets the back portion of the shoulder muscles, as well as the arms, making it perfect for both shoulder pain and tension in the neck.

Directions:

1. Extend your left arm in front of you at shoulder level, then use your right forearm to move the left arm closer to the chest until you start feeling a stretch in the left side of the neck and the left shoulder. Don't worry if your forearm doesn't reach the chest, the most important thing is to feel a stretch.

2. Hold for 2-3 minutes and then repeat on the other side.

4. Reach For the Sky

This is one of the easiest stretches you can do, and it really energizes your upper body and activates the spine. Simply lock your fingers together and reach high into the sky with a straight spine. To really feel this posture, move from side to side, backward and forward - this will help you stretch the side muscles and arms.

A little trick here is to push the shoulders down while stretching the arms up, as this will ensure you're not straining your neck while doing this exercise. If you can manage to hold this position for a few minutes without lowering your hands for a few repetitions, the exercise can even be quite effective at activating the back and core muscles.

5. Wrist Pain Relief

Wrist pain is another one of those occupational hazards, no matter if you draw, write a lot, type a lot, or garden. Your wrists are among the most sensitive joints in your body, and constant strain and inflammation can really make them become painful.

The first exercise targets the inner side of your wrist: extend your arms at shoulder level, then press the right hand against the inner part of the left palm, and slowly increase the pressure until you feel a stretch in your hand and forearm (see image above). Hold for a few minutes, and then repeat on the other side.

To stretch the outer arm muscles in a second similar stretch, simply press the right hand against the top of the left hand and hold for a few minutes. Don't forget to repeat on both sides. 

6. Tricep Stretch

This exercise is designed to stretch the triceps, so it can help relieve shoulder pain and neck strain without any particular effort or tension put on the spine or neck.

Directions:

1. Reaching both arms overhead, bend the right arm and hold the right elbow with the left hand. In this position, your right hand should nearly or completely be touching the left shoulder blade.

2. Using the left hand, pull the right elbow gently down, which should produce a stretch in your right side and right tricep.

3. Hold for 3-5 minutes, then repeat on the opposite side.

7. Energizing the Spine

Strengthening the back and promoting spinal health while sitting on a chair is possible, all you have to do is to repeat this exercise on a daily basis. This exercise will energize the sides of your body as well, and it's great at improving your overall posture.

Directions:

1. Raise the right arm overhead while simultaneously holding the right thigh with your left hand. If this sounds confusing, just see the reference image above.
2. On an exhale, slowly and mindfully tilt your torso towards the left. Continue reaching your arm towards the right as well. Activate your abdominal muscles and pull your shoulders together to maintain a straight posture.
3. Hold this pose for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply to make the stretch more effective. Then repeat on the other side. Try to do at least 3 reps on each side. 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
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Take care of your spinal health to avoid life-long malaise

Over the years spinal health has emerged as one of the major concerns among millennials. 

Our busy and mostly sedentary lifestyles attached with a digital-heavy exist have resulted in a large number of young professionals being afflicted with back pain. 

Injuries, poor postures, obesity, heavy schoolbags and puberty are some of the reasons for poor spinal health. Therefore, back pain is a matter of concern and should not be neglected. 

Apart from diminishing your quality of life, back pain also affects your work and social engagements and in extreme cases, even prevents in accomplishing simple, everyday tasks.

Like all other structures of the body, the disc in the spine ages and degenerates with time and inactivity. 

Early treatment can solve the pain and the root cause of the problem within a short span of time providing complete recovery. Early diagnosis and proper treatment is recommended to avoid the risk of surgeries and to live a better life without back pain and spine problems.

An Orthopedic Surgeon said, "Continuous cell phone, laptop and desktop use can prove detrimental for your neck and spine health. Perpetual use of these devices influences our stance in unhealthy ways that contribute to neck upper back, and shoulder pain. Bad posture while sitting, standing, walking, or in a static position can lead to stiffness. Bad posture can also affect other parts of the spine, such as the middle and low back. Use any device at the eye level as much as possible. They should also be positioned so the screen is at eye level and you don’t have to look down or bend your head forward. Ensure that your screen is set up so that you have to look forward. Adopting principles of good ergonomics early in life can help you go a long way in preventing neck and back problems."

Over the years spinal health has emerged as one of the major concerns among millennial. Experts have been witnessing that a large number younger population has been facing spinal problems and initially they neglect their problem. They come for treatment when problems get complicated. 

An Orthopaedic surgeon said, “Obviously, age-related degeneration cannot be reversed, but few daily exercises can help rejuvenate and enhance disc nourishment. 

"Exercise frequently there are few easy and doable exercises that should become a part of your daily routine. Practice yoga like the snake, the downward dog and the child poses to alleviate pain and strengthen your back.” 

“If you are a smoker, quit smoking. Smoking speeds up the development of osteoporosis and brittle bones with loss of fluid in the discs and resulting in its degeneration. 

""Hydration enables in maintaining soft tissue elasticity and fluidity in joints. Apply Heat – Warm water baths, using a heated compressor lying briefly under a heat lamp relaxes your back muscles and stimulates blood flow.”  the Dr. added.

According to experts, dietary habits can also improve your spine health and prevent spine ageing, eat wholesome and better to incorporate these food groups in your daily meal like kale and broccoli, green leafy veggies and cucumber have proven to be excellent vegetable sources of Calcium and Vitamin K. 

Eat as much variety of nuts and seeds as possible. Eggs and fatty fish like anchovies and salmon are a great source of Vitamin D. Pay heed to any Warning signs – Although back pain these days are more common than you think but recurrent pains should never be ignored. Left untreated, problems with the spine can worsen and result in a life-long malaise.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.    

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