5 exercises that can help if your back and shoulders are cramped from computer use

If your workday is being hampered by aches and pains all over, adding these moves to your workout routine can help

If you’re finding yourself struggling with a sharp pain across your shoulders, down your back or through your arms, you can blame the constant hunching-over your computer and phone. “Sitting for prolonged periods while you work from home with your shoulders forward and your chest muscles compressed can cause an over-stretched upper back. This has caused a bad posture endemic in the midst of the pandemic,” confirms Bhavna Harchandrai, a Mumbai-based fitness expert. “This often leads to knots in your neck, headaches, neck pain, shoulder impingement, numbness of the arm and upper back muscle soreness.”

Stretching increases blood flow to the muscles to relieve stiffness, which lengthens the muscles and improves flexibility, reducing a risk of injury and allowing for a greater range of motion. But strengthening the muscles in the first place can help prevent the pain. A strong upper body also improves posture, so you’re less likely to slouch if you’ve built up your form and strength. “You’ll want to try exercises that will stretch out the chest and anterior deltoids, strengthen the upper back and ease out the cervical spine,” says Harchandrai. Here are five exercises you can try now.

1) Scapular squeezes

“It opens your chest muscles and helps improve posture,” says Harchandrai. Plus, it can be used as a strengthening tool for the upper back, and can warm up the muscles in the process too, if it’s done at the beginning of your workout.

1. Attach a resistance band to a door handle. Grab the band maintaining adequate tension.
2. Stand with your feet comfortably apart.
3. Keep the shoulders back and down, chin up , back tall, abs in, elbows bent and palms facing each other.
4. Pull the shoulder blades down and together. Hold for 5-10 seconds and release. Do 10 repetitions.

2) Rotator cuff external rotation

A strong rotator cuff muscle can prevent shoulder impingements, which happens when the soft tissues of the the rotator cuff become swollen and inflamed.

1. Stand with feet comfortably apart. Hold the band, arms by your sides with your elbows bent at 90 degrees and palms facing the ceiling.
2. Isolate the movement from the elbow while pulling the arms apart, away from the mid-line of the body.
3. Squeeze the shoulder blades together, down and back. Do 12-15 repetitions.

3) Upper back rows

“This exercise strengthens the shoulders, upper warm and core. When they all work together, you will be able to bend, lift and carry more effortlessly,” says Harchandrai.

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hinge at the hips, allowing the chest to come down as you lower the back. Maintain a neutral spine or a slight back arch.
2. Holding the dumbbells, extend the arms down, palms facing each other. Keep the head and neck in-line with the spine, core engaged.
3. Roll the shoulders back, pull the elbows in towards your body, driving the shoulder blades together.
4. Release to starting position. Do 12-15 repetitions.

4) Wall angels

For those that struggle with TMJ or arm pain as they write or type, this shoulder-strengthening exercise is a key add-on to a routine. “It improves the shoulder rotation and scapular mobility.”

1. Stand with your hips, back, shoulder blades against the wall in an extended position.
2. Retract your shoulders, placing the arms in a W position with the back of the hands on the wall.
3. Slide the arms upwards, knuckles in contact with the wall.
4. Release and repeat for 12-15 repetitions.

5) Prone W

This helps to improve shoulder stability and mobility in the long run.

1. Lie down on your belly. Head, neck, spine stay in their natural alignment.
2. Lift your chest off the floor, arms extended.
3. Form a W with the arms, pulling the elbows toward the back pockets. Squeeze the shoulder blades together.
4. Release and repeat for 12-15 repetitions.