All nerve impulses originate in the brain and flow down along the spinal cord. Nerves from the spinal cord pass between the vertebrae, and they in turn branch out to every part of our bodies. In other words, nerves are the important lines of communication between the brain and the cells. Incorrect posture, such as sunken chest and hunched lower back will compress the spine and create pain. Many office workers spend long hours in front of the computer in bad posture, resulting in back pain or neck pain. Many people sit towards the front of their chair and end up hunching forward to look at their computer screen. A better posture is to sit back in the chair and use the chair's lumbar support to keep the head and neck upright. The best way to counter back pain is to take stretch breaks and walking breaks at suitable intervals after being confined to an office chair for a long time. These spine roll down exercises use the force of gravity and the weight of the head to create more space between each vertebra of the spine.
Movements demonstrated by Maria Chan, certified yoga and Pilates instructor (NESTA). Office Yoga will return in May for its second series.
Tip During the roll-up and roll-down movement, visualise your spine like a string of pearls. Always curl your spine up and down one bone at a time to stretch the inner muscles in between each vertebra. This exercise may not be appropriate for someone with high blood pressure.
Starting position
Sit upright and place both hands on knees.
1 Move your chin down towards your chest and begin to roll down through the spine, allowing the arms, shoulders and neck to relax completely.