Are You Suffering From Weak Core Strength While Working From Home?

It’s been nearly two months since many people have had to make the transition to working from home. Throughout this time, it’s clear that our day to day lives have changed dramatically, especially the 9-5 work routine. This change in work routine has obviously affected our posture and ergonomics, but it has also affected our daily movement patterns. Poor posture and minimal incidental exercise can result in weak core strength that can cause a chain reaction, including back pain. Fortunately, making a few simple adjustments to your work from routine can prevent this from happening.

Recognising Weak Core Strength

We are now moving far less than before, with no need to walk to the train/bus or even around the office and city at lunchtime and throughout the day. What I am now seeing in my clinic is patients presenting with additional ergonomic issues associated with work from home posture but also weakness in their core (abdominal) muscles. This is clearly associated with the lack of movement throughout the day (plus gyms have been closed for 2 months!).

Sitting for long periods of time with poor posture can cause your body to shift out of alignment. This means the rest of your muscles need to compensate for a lack of core engagement. This can lead to injury in the muscles that have to work harder (overuse injury).

Because the core is needed to stabilise the spine, generate power, and fuel the body, if you suffer from a weak core, you may find yourself tired and in pain. Lack of core strength typically presents as lower back pain and weakness, difficulty maintaining good posture and sporadic back spasms.

Improve Weak Core Strength

You’d be surprised to know how much core strength is needed for basic daily tasks such as getting out of bed, hanging out the washing or even standing for long periods of time. By actively working to engage the core muscles throughout the day, you’ll notice an improvement in the functionality of your whole body.

My recommendation to patients who are experiencing lower back pain and core weakness is to break up the day with some stretch breaks that include a few core activation exercises. My favourite core exercises to add in are planks, side planks and hip bridges. Doing a few core exercises and posture stretches at least once a day are a great way to combat working from home core and posture issues.

Here are the top 20 Core Exercises Trainers Swear By. You can easily do these at home using no equipment. Start off doing each exercise one at a time, until you can perform ten in a row. Then move on to the next. You should feel some great core engagement that’ll build your core strength and lessen any pain or weakness you’ve been experiencing.

Get in Touch if Pain Persists

If you are struggling with back pain or injury associated with a weak core or the recent change to your work environment, feel free to get in touch. I am happy to help you and have appointments open Monday through to Friday at my chiropractic clinic in Brisbane CBD.