stretches and exercises

There are several exercises that will help strengthen your lower back. Try these three stretching exercises to help make your back stronger and better toned:

​Plank
1. Get into press - up position with your forearms on the ground.
2. Keeping your elbows in line with your shoulders, push up onto your forearms and toes, keeping your back straight and your elbows on the ground.
3. Hold for a few seconds, and then lower yourself to the floor.

​Bird dog
1. Get on your hands and knees, keeping your back straight.
2. Extend one leg and the opposite arm straight out.
3. Hold for five seconds, and then rest.
4. Alternate with the other leg and arm.

​Bridge
1. Lie on your back with your arms by your sides.
2. Gradually lift your hips using your back, buttocks, and abdominal muscles.
3. Hold for five seconds, and then relax.

Finally, no matter how comfortable you are at your desk, prolonged, static posture is not good for your back. Try to remember to stand, stretch and walk at least a minute or two every half hour. Moving about and stretching on a regular basis throughout the day will help keep your joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons loose, which in turn will help you feel more comfortable, more relaxed and more productive.

While it’s a natural tendency to want to rest our backs by sitting rather than standing, in many cases it’s bad sitting posture that’s contributing to the problem.
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Being mindful of preserving a correct sitting position, keeping core muscles toned to support the spine will help keep your back in its best possible shape.