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Stretching for the Computer Athlete

 

Before athletes go on to the field, they prepare their muscles for the activity they are about to participate. A pitcher will go through a series of warm up techniques that usually involve stretching before pitching. A gymnast will make sure her muscles are warm and pliable to avoid a strain that may keep her out of competition. An accountant, attorney, or anybody that tends to sits at a desk or computer terminal for a prolonged period may develop muscular tension and pain. Like an athlete, taking five or ten minutes to warm up through stretching will prepare the body for the day’s work. It is also helpful to learn to stretch spontaneously, throughout the day, stretching any particular area of the body that feels tense for a minute or two.


A typical position at a desk or computer lends itself to many of the following mechanical misalignment problems.

Neck

Increased flexion or forward tilt due to work habits: cervical strain due to misalignment and muscle imbalance.

Shoulder

Increased forward rotation due to work habits: rotator cuff impingement due to misalignment and muscle imbalance with potential structural damage.

Jaw

Increased jaw pressure due to tension: temporal mandible joint (TMJ) misalignment due to constant muscle pull.

Low Back

Reduced mobility and increased sensitivity due to body posture and work habits: lumbar spine misalignment, nerve trauma, and Myofascial pain with potential structural damage. Hip- Reduced mobility and increased over-compensation due to inflexibility and muscle imbalance: lumbar spine and sciatic.

Hamstring

Increased low back strain and knee instability due to reduced range of motion: quadriceps muscle imbalance.

Calf

Increased Achilles tendon strain with potential bone spurs due to inflexibility: anterior muscle group imbalance.


How to Stretch

Stretching should be done slowly without bouncing. Stretching should not cause pain. As you hold this stretch for 20-30 seconds, the feeling of tension should diminish. The key to stretching is to be relaxed. Ideally, a general warm up should be performed before stretching. This may involve walking down the hallway or a set of stairs to increase the core body temperature then returning to the office to perform a stretching routine. Relax. You do not need to break into a sweat to accomplish an increase in temperature.

Practice muscle specificity when stretching. Feel the stretch in the muscle versus the tendon and/or joint. Below is a series of stretches that are recommended before the workday as well as throughout the workday. Performing 1-2 repetitions per muscle group is a good guideline but you may find that you need to do more or less repetitions than the average person. Like any other weakness, you need to spend more time in these areas.

Rick Philbin is the manager of Metro Orthopedics and Sports Therapy in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the CEO of FITT, Fitness in Today’s Times, an on-site, corporate wellness program based in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. His background in athletic training and fitness help provide valuable information to the clients and patients he serves.