Bruegger's Relief Pose!

Most of us sit for a living...sitting in a chair all day staring at a computer monitor.  Your posture may start great to begin the day but often it regresses as the day goes on.  Your upright posture with shoulders and head back slowly turns in to slouched shoulders and a head that droops down closer and closer to your keyboard.   This poor posture can lead to: tight muscles in the upper back and neck, neck pain, headaches, tingling in your arms and hands, and more.  

Fortunately, there are a few great ways to combat this phenomenon.  Ergonomic work stations are becoming more coming, stand up or convertible desks are more readily available, even treadmill desks are an option for the hardcore workplace ergonomics enthusiasts.

If you are stuck sitting all day I recommend one simple exercise/position to help combat all of the postural stress:  Bruegger's Relief Pose!  This position was invented in the 1950's by a swiss neurologist to help strengthen posture and relieve back and neck pain. 

For those who work in a seated position for the majority of the day, practice Bruegger’s Relief Pose for 10 seconds every 20 minutes or so. Here's how:

·        

•        Hold your head up high

• ·         Sit with your legs slightly apart

• ·         Turn your legs out slightly

• ·         Rest your weight on your legs and feet and relax abdominal muscles

• ·         Tilt your pelvis forward and raise your chest up

• ·         Keep your hands palms-up

• ·         Turn your arms slightly outward

• ·         Hold this position while taking deep "belly" breaths for 10 second

This is most often done seated in a chair but can be modified to do while standing or in a car. This may seem too simple but it's actually very effective.   Doing this consistently through the work day will help to alleviate the all too common muscle aches and pains that the average desk worker struggles with!