Sitting for long periods of time is part of everyday life for most Merck Group employees—whether in the office, working from home, or in meetings. But it is precisely this amount of sitting that poses a real challenge for our backs. In Germany, people spend an average of over ten hours a day sitting: around 3.5 hours at work, 2.5 hours in front of the TV, about 1.5 hours on the move, and another 3 hours in their free time. This high amount of sitting time is not only a record, but also a risk factor for complaints and illnesses such as back pain, high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
Back exercises at work are therefore a crucial component in preventing discomfort and strengthening your own health in the long term. Especially for the large Merck Group community in Darmstadt, they offer a simple way to stay active during the working day.
Why back exercises at work are so important
Traditional fitness training or physiotherapy sessions are important measures, but they usually only take place two to four times a week. Back exercises directly at the workplace are an ideal complement to these measures, as they can be performed daily and without much effort. Just a few minutes are enough to strengthen the back muscles, improve posture, and increase general well-being.
For Merck Group employees, this means that back pain can be reduced and concentration and performance increased with very little time investment. Regularity is key. Those who integrate these exercises into their daily routine will protect themselves from tension and strain injuries in the long term.
Back exercises at work: small movements, big impact
The simplest form of back exercises is to consciously change position repeatedly. Instead of sitting rigidly for hours, even small movements can help:
- Stretch regularly in different directions while sitting or standing.
- While sitting, shift your weight from one buttock to the other.
- Let your arms hang loosely and rotate your shoulders.
- Move your head to the left, right, front, and back to loosen up your neck muscles.
These mini-sessions only take two to three minutes and can easily be scheduled every 30 minutes. Here’s a tip: stick a little note on your screen—a Post-it with “Exercise break!” written on it—and it will remind you when it’s time for your next exercise session.
Simple stretching exercises
In addition to small movements, stretching exercises are particularly effective for relieving tension and maintaining flexibility. These exercises can be performed directly in the office without any equipment:
1. Tension in the back and shoulders
Sit upright, interlace your fingers, and hold your hands at chest level. Pull your hands apart while pulling your shoulders together. Hold the tension for ten seconds and repeat the exercise twice.
2. Stretching the neck muscles
Tilt your head to the right and forward. Gently increase the stretch with your right hand while pulling your left shoulder down. Feel the diagonal stretch in your neck. Then switch sides.
3. Slouching when sitting
While sitting, lean forward and grasp your ankles. Round your back and hold this position for a few seconds. Then slowly straighten up again.
4. Hip and buttock stretch
While seated, place your right ankle on your left knee. Press your right knee down gently and bend your upper body forward. Hold the position for 20 seconds and then switch sides.
These stretching exercises are ideal for everyday office life, as they provide relief in just a few minutes and promote mobility.
Regularity instead of perfection
When doing back exercises at work, it is better to exercise frequently and briefly than rarely and for long periods. It is sufficient to feel a slight pull—pain should be avoided. It is crucial to move as many muscle groups as possible and to schedule the exercises as an integral part of the working day.
The Merck Group promotes precisely this awareness with its health strategy: prevention and personal initiative are important keys to remaining healthy and productive in the long term.
Support from the professionals at the VITENSO Health Center
Even though many exercises can be performed independently, professional guidance is often beneficial. The VITENSO Health Care center is available exclusively to Merck Group employees in Darmstadt. It employs specialists in the fields of fitness, physical therapy, osteopathy, and rehabilitation training.
The aim is to take a holistic approach: maintaining and promoting the body’s natural mobility and performance – and back exercises at work are a key component of this. The experts at VITENSO help to develop individual exercise plans, avoid incorrect movement patterns, and prevent long-term back problems.
Back exercises at work for greater well-being
For Merck Group employees in Darmstadt, back exercises at work offer a simple, effective, and sustainable way to prevent back pain and promote their own health. Whether through small movements in between tasks or targeted stretching exercises, every activity counts.
The most important thing is consistency: those who regularly incorporate back exercises into their daily work routine not only improve their physical well-being, but also their concentration and motivation. With the support of the VITENSO Health Center, back health is becoming an integral part of working life at the Merck Group.
Photo: © amnaj @ adobe.com
