The Top Stretching Routines for All-Day Computer Users

Working on your computer for hours on end can be good for your bank account, but maybe not your muscles. The convenience that comes with working online comes with a price. That price that you'll pay might come in the form of weaker muscles.

A simple fact: the weaker your muscles, the more easily you could get injured. Your neck, shoulders, and hands are the most vulnerable. Sitting at your computer for too long can give you a stiff neck and back. Worse, your hands and wrists can get repetitive movement injuries.

The good news: you no longer need to choose between doing your job and being comfort. Knowing which stretching exercises to do that help will allow you to remain limber reduces discomfort when working at your computer.

If you make these exercises part of your routine, you'll stay more flexible. Working online for long stretches won't become an ordeal for you. Plus, you'll be able to work more productively, making regular stretching exercises a wise choice.

Things to Remember Before Beginning

It's easier to work in stretches and other movements by taking a mixture of micro-breaks, rest breaks, and exercise breaks. The micro-breaks and rest breaks help eliminate a lot of needless pain and stiffness.

Here are the suggested intervals for doing the stretching exercises:

• Micro-breaks: Breaks of less than two minutes in between bursts of typing, which might include resting your hands in a flat posture while stretching, or doing another task that involves standing and walking around
• Rest breaks: Every 30 to 60 minutes, involving getting up and moving around for a few minutes, which also helps reduce fatigue
• Exercise breaks: These are the breaks you should use to do your stretching exercises, and a suggested interval is every one to two hours

Neck Stretching Exercises

Shake your head slowly, both side to side and up and down. Mentally ask yourself questions like "Is all this Seattle rainfall too much?" and alternating "Yes" and "No" with side to side and up and down movements three times each.

Do some deep breaths, and when you exhale, gently turn to the right. Get a grip on the back of the chair using your right hand, while using your left to grab the chair arm. Twist so that you are facing as far back as possible, come back to a forward-facing position gently, then repeat the exercise on the left side.

Shoulder Stretching Routines

Take deep breaths while inhaling, bringing your shoulders up to your ears. Hold for about a minute, then release and drop. Repeat this exercise three times.

With one arm placed out in front of you, grab the elbow with the other hand to pull it over your chest, hold, then release. Repeat using the opposite arm.

Hand Stretching Exercises

Clench both fists with your hands out in front of you. Alternating between both hands, make ten circles. After having moved your fists in one direction, make ten circles in the opposite direction on each hand. Shake out your hands after you are done.

Point at the floor while stretching your hand out in front of you. Use the opposite hand to gently push your fingers down, and closer to your body. Repeat on the opposite side.

You're on Your Way to a More Comfortable Work Day

When you perform these types of exercises, you'll be accomplishing two goals: you're exercising areas of your body that can become needlessly stiff while you're sitting at your desk, as well as fighting fatigue. Once you've started a regular exercise routine, you'll be feeling much better during long computer usage times.