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I did a lot of corporate massage work in office buildings before the pandemic, so I gained a very good understanding of how sitting for extensive hours can affects our body. First of all, I would like to applaud the companies who invest in their employee’s wellbeing by inviting (and paying) massage therapists in their offices to provide a 10-15 minutes treatment to the employees.  Our life involves many hours of sitting at work, in the car, on public transport, front of the tv and so on. However, human body is not designed for sitting that much and as a result, we pay the price for it. I have a lot of conversation about this topic with my clients as many of them are office workers or working from home. My firs advise is to keep moving during outside working hours as much as you can. It doesn’t matter what form of exercise you do, as long as you are moving, for example yoga, swimming, weightlifting, walking etc. Finding a form of exercise you enjoy is a great first step, as it is sustainable in long term. There is no point in forcing yourself to do something you hate, as you will not be able to maintain consistency in your exercise routine, and consistency is key! We are all different, so it is okay to like different thing. Just because your friends enjoy weightlifting, it does not mean that you have to like it too. If you prefer yoga, long walks, or Zumba, you should do that. So doing exercise is a great first step towards a pain free and healthier life. However, there are also other things you can do to release muscle tension and consequently, reduce pain.

Kneeling Chair: this chair is designed to keep your back upright and distributes the weight evenly across the knee, legs, and hip. This chair can improve your posture and alleviate lower back, upper back, and neck pain.   

Epsom salt bath: Epsom salt helps to release muscle tension and it helps to relax as well after a long day at work. 

Massage ball: keep a massage ball on your desk.  Place the ball on the desk front of you and roll both sides of your forearm back and forth on it when your arms get tired. You will be surprised how much muscle tension you have in your forearms. You can also roll it under the palm of your hands with a circular motion. It gives a great relief to your hands. you can also buy massage ball made of cork, which is a natural material. Another popular option is the MURLIEN massage ball gadget, which has easy grip design and one hand control, so it is easier to use it on your arms, shoulder and legs.

Resistance bands: keep some resistance band in near to your desk. It is light weight and does not take up a lot of space and it gives you limitless ways to do strengthening and stretching. 10-15 minutes of resistance exercise a day will make a great difference in your mobility and strength. You can find great videos on Youtube if you need some inspirations. 

Foot massager: lack of movement can affect our legs as well. I have clients who developed plantar fasciitis from sitting at the desk. It is the inflammation of the fascia of the sole of the foot, which often starts with muscle tension in the calf. So, massaging your feet and stretching your toes can prevent further problems. The foot massager can also enhance the blood circulation in the foot and lower legs, which prevents developing blood cloths and beneficial for the lymphatic system.