Corrective Posture Exercises for Good Office Posture: Active Sitting

Given that most of us sit all day, we might as well make the best out of it. If you sit using a good office posture, the muscular effort involved in keeping you upright throughout the day along will give your core posture muscles a great workout.

In addition, you might want to check out some of the many Active Sitting products that are out there. Active Sitting is a concept introduced by researchers in Ergonomics. Basically it involves ways to ensure your core muscles are constantly activated while you sit at your desk. While conventional seating promotes a tendency for bad posture, Active Sitting products allow for postural adjustments, leading to contraction of core muscles in the abdominal, lumbar and pelvic regions.

There are various Active Sitting aides available in the market. These range from Exercise Ball chairs to discs and pads that can be placed on regular chairs. Because of their inherent shape and structure, these devices basically allow the hip and pelvis to move on a multi-axial plane, calling on active work from the muscles surrounding them. These cushions, inserts and discs are easy to use and can help sitting posture at home or even in the office at your desk.

However, you don’t have to have Active Sitting products to strengthen your core posture support muscles while you sit. Here are a few easy core muscle corrective posture exercises you can do while sitting to improve posture support. These corrective posture exercises will strengthen the muscles you need for proper desk posture and improve your overall posture. If you do each exercise 3-4 times a day, you will find that sitting is a lot easier after a couple of weeks. As you develop proper core posture support and increase the circulation to your spine, you’ll likely find that you feel better and have more energy at the end of the day.

Leg Lifts: Sit on the edge of the chair with your back straight and feet on the floor; place hands on the arm rests of the chair. With the knee bent, lift the right leg up and hold it up for five to ten seconds. Then shift to the left leg. Try to do this without letting the feet touch the floor. Repeat 10 times.

Leg Press: Still sitting on the edge of your chair, put your right hand on your right knee. Press the knee into the hand, so that you feel your core muscles engage. Take a deep breath in and hold for 5-10 seconds. Then shift to the other leg. Repeat 4-5 times, also alternating the hand that you use to press into the leg.

Spinal Twist: Moving your spine in different directions during the day is important to keep circulation flowing to the intervertebral discs. This corrective posture exercise is a great way to stimulate muscle activity, alleviate compression, and increase blood flow to the discs.

Sit up straight on the edge of your chair with your feet on the floor (or on a support stool if they don’t reach the floor). Interlace your hands behind your head. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, slowly twist to the right. Inhale and lift. Then, on the exhale, return to center. Repeat to the left. Do this exercise 4-5 times on each side.

As with all exercises, start slowly and build gradually. Remember to breathe in and out while exercising. Do not continue with the moves if they cause pain. As always, it’s advised to consult with your physician before doing any type of exercise, especially if you have any disease condition, including back pain.

 

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