Exercises against back pain in the home office

Many people know back pain. At the moment, the number of people experiencing back pain is increasing because of the work situation in the home office. 

Why does back pain occur and what can you do to prevent it?

Why does back pain occur?

When you move less because the way to work falls away, and you work from a
non-ergonomic workplace, this can lead to a problem.
Over a period of time, this situation can cause back pain and can damage the muscoskeletal system. Starting from back pain other (chronic) pain issues can develop. In some cases, broken band washers and jaw issues can occur.

The workplace

According to a study more than 60% of people who currently work in the home office in Austria, Germany and Switzerland suffer from back pain or pain in the muscles and the head area. In most cases, this has to do with how the workplace at home is organised and how you sit. Many people don’t have an ergonomic desk chair available. Furthermore, only about half of the people who currently work from home have a separate workspace. The other half is working from a dining-, or living room table.

Exercises to prevent back pain

Most of the problems and pain arise in shoulders- and the neck area. With this also comes head pain. When you sit in a hunched over position at the desk, the thoracic spine becomes round and the shoulder muscles can shorten. It becomes harder to straighten the neck without making compensatory movements.

It’s important to stretch the shortened muscles and to strengthen the weakened muscles. Mobility- and yoga exercises like for example the downward dog or sun salutations are especially suitable.

To strengthen the lower back, you can do exercises like the hip thrust with weights. If you don’t have weights at home, you can also use a big bottle filled with water.
The stomach muscles can be strengthened for instance with exercises like sit-ups, crunches etc.

Another exercise for preventing back pain is the long lunge. For this exercise you stand with your feet shoulder’s width apart and step forward with the right foot. The other foot stays planted. Now you bend your left leg until your left thigh is in one line with your knee. You place the left arm on the floor and extend the right arm towards the ceiling.


A short training for better mobility and less back pain can be done every day.
More important than how long the exercises last is that you’re doing them regularly.
When working in the home office doing the exercises for 10-15 minutes a day is ideal. Maybe you can find some minutes during a work-break or reserve some time in the morning and the evening.