Physical Activity€0 · freehalf a day

Back-Fit Express

Ten minutes of back training may not sound like much – and that's exactly the point. If you think that effective WHP exercise requires at least an hour and a changing room, you underestimate how much can be achieved in short, consistent sessions. The Rücken-Fit-Express is designed for workforces who have no time – and yet still sit at their desks every day.

Why does your back need exactly this type of training?

Complaints often arise less from strain and more from one-sided posture. If you sit for eight hours, you unconsciously tense the same muscles and let others waste away. Short, targeted sessions – guided by a physiotherapist or video – interrupt exactly this pattern. After a few weeks of regular 10-minute sessions, many people notice a significant reduction in that afternoon backache.

How do you establish the Express as a daily ritual?

The secret lies in the trigger: a fixed time in the calendar – better as a recurring appointment than as a good intention. Teams who do the Rücken-Fit-Express together – for example at 9:30 a.m. right after the first meeting – are more likely to stick with it than individuals. The short break pays off twice: both concentration and your back benefit equally. You can find more measures and their classification in the Movement action area.

How to put it in place

1
Put together 10 simple back exercises (stretching, strengthening, mobilisation) and add a short video guide or a poster for each.
2
Set the rhythm: 3 sessions per week over 4 weeks, each session about 10 minutes.
3
Prepare a simple tracking sheet where participants note the sessions they complete each week.
4
Make the exercise collection and the video guides available in one central place and share the link with everyone.
5
Explain the 4-week plan and that back problems are among the most common reasons for sick days (DAK health report 2025: musculoskeletal disorders in third place).
6
Recommend fixed time slots (e.g. Monday, Wednesday, Friday) and ask everyone to start their first session in week 1.
7
At the start of each week, remind everyone of the three planned sessions and link the exercise videos again.
8
Vary the choice of exercises slightly over the weeks so that strengthening and stretching alternate and it does not get boring.
9
Encourage participants to enter their sessions in the tracking sheet, and recognise those who keep going.
10
Evaluate the tracking: how many sessions did each person complete on average?
11
Ask in a short survey whether tension or back problems have improved.
12
Find out whether there is interest in continuing, and if needed plan a permanent weekly back routine.

What you need

Effort: half a day
Cost: Free
Setup: 60 min

✓ Tackles one of the most common causes of sick days
✓ Short exercises
✓ Doable at the workplace

Adopt it for your company

One click — and the measure sits ready in your plan. Guided step by step, no lengthy setup.

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