Oh, my achin' back!!!

You have spent the entire day crumpled up in your chair, hovering above your keyboard, basking in the fluorescent lighting of your office and now you expect to stand up from your desk and walk out the door feeling good....right????....WRONG, that does not happen because your back is killing you! That's right, your back hurts so much that you can't really even walk out the door, it's more of a hobble.
In order to prevent lurking around like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, here are 3 simple things you can do throughout the day to keep your back feeling good:

• Stand up from your desk every 15-20 minutes and pace or walk around. This will help to decrease the amount of time your spine is in a compressed position.
• Sit up straight! While sitting, pretend you have an imaginary pencil in between your shoulder blades that you must hold onto. Squeeze your shoulder blades toward one another while bringing your belly button in toward your spine to keep your abs engaged as well. You should appear as if you are having your portrait taken....chin up, head back, chest up, back straight, and stomach pulled in (a smile wouldn't hurt you either!).
• Exercise those back muscles! Your back hurts because it is over-stretched not over-worked. To combat this, stand with your back up against a wall with your heels, butt, shoulders, and head on the wall. Stand there for 30-60 seconds and do this 2-3x each day.

Moving your body and maintaining your flexibility are also key in preventing back pain...so remember that the next time you just feel like sitting on your couch after a long day of sitting at work! Live Well!