Monday, December 04, 2006

Preventing Back Pain When You Have to Sit at a Desk All Day


Back pain is one of the most common reasons why people visit the doctor. It is especially challenging to keep your back in shape when you sit at a desk all day long. Our bodies were designed to be outside picking berries, fishing, and walking miles to look for shelter, not sitting stationary and reading email for hours on end.

Yoga can help to get all of your major muscles groups moving and strengthened. Watching your posture is also importent. If you sit hunched over a PC all day long, eventually your muscles may shorten into that position. Then when you need to stretch out your body for an activity like tennis or even reaching for a something on a high shelf, your back may "go out". The best way to prevent this is to keep your muscles flexible and aligned even before you have pain. Practicing yoga regularly and watching your posture may help.