Aching from hunching in front of the computer too long? Try this quick exercise

Long hours in front of a screen often means neck pain. You can prevent this with regular breaks and short exercises. — dpa

You may be a gamer, you may be a desk jockey: either way, spending all that time hunched over the computer is probably not helping your posture.

Specifically, your neck may be extended forward much of the time if you are looking at the screen for hours on end, which in the long term can damage your spine.

Try switching between standing and sitting, and/or taking short breaks, says physiotherapist Alexander Srokovskyi.

That will help you concentrate better and make you less likely to suffer from neck tension and headaches.

You should also try to make sure you have a good ergonomic chair that relieves the pressure on your lumbar spine, e.g. through integrated lumbar support.

Doing some brief exercises can also help improve your posture and counter the effects of all that desk work, he says.

He suggests trying this simple, one-minute exercise: Stand with both legs shoulder-width apart, move your arms backwards slightly, spread them away from your body and stretch your fingers.

Now squat slightly, tilt your head slightly downwards and press the outer sides of your feet, and the ball of your big toe, into the floor.

Stretch your arms outwards at the same time and hold that posture for three seconds.

Repeat 10 times, holding your squat position and slowly releasing the tension in your body between each repetition. – dpa