According to the Robert Koch Institute, almost two-thirds of Germans suffer from back pain within a year. The good news is that training and regular exercise can greatly reduce the risk of back pain.
Our spine keeps our body upright and carries the weight of our torso, head, and arms every day. This is made possible by a large number of muscles that protect the back and keep it stable. Back pain can often be explained by untrained muscles and a lack of exercise. Regular, strenuous, one-sided movement can also lead to muscular imbalance and back pain as a result. In order to effectively protect against incorrect or excessive strain, these muscles must be strengthened and exercised regularly. This keeps the back muscles fit and enables them to compensate for incorrect strain.
According to a study by Steiger and colleagues from 2012, the amount of training, i.e., the time the study participants invested in physical training, is particularly crucial for pain reduction. This is influenced, among other things, by increases in metabolism and blood circulation, which accelerate the healing process. However, an increase in muscle strength also has a positive effect on back problems.
Tips for the office:
To prevent incorrect posture and muscle tension caused by sitting for long periods of time, it is not so much the correct sitting posture that is important, but rather “active sitting.” This means changing your sitting position regularly and not staying in the same position for too long. This relieves the muscles and indirectly trains the core muscles through alternating tension and relaxation, promoting blood circulation. It also has a positive effect on performance, as the brain is better supplied with oxygen during movement. Getting up from time to time and doing short stretches reinforce the positive effect of dynamic sitting.