We’ve all been warned about the adverse effects that prolonged sitting has on the body (low back pain, rounded posture, tight hip flexors, etc.). Medical professionals and fitness trainers had urged us to move our bodies long before the global pandemic encouraged the work-from-home lifestyle. For years, experts have advised of the harm that sitting all day has on our bodies, yet we still tend to sink deeper into our couch cushions as the workday drags on.
If you’re still adapting to working from home (or have turned your recliner into your workstation the last year and a half), there are some simple stretches that you can do throughout the day to counteract the damage you’re doing on your joints. And unfortunately, going to the gym a few nights a week does not make these marathon hours sitting any less harmful. Below are four essential stretches to take during your workday to easily prevent these detriments on your body.
Lunge with Rotation
Failing to move the body routinely means trouble for your weakening muscles, and molding your body into the couch for an extended period is especially not helpful. For one, couch cushions don’t provide the support needed to hold your body, resulting in poor posture and stiff muscles. You can, however, neutralize the body by incorporating a lunge with rotation into your stretch sessions.
To activate this posture, take a giant step forward with your right foot, framing the foot out with your hands, so you’re in a low lunge position. Come up on your back toes, drawing the heel back behind you. Plant the left palm down and raise your right arm to the sky, twisting to the right. Gaze up at the right fingertips and keep drawing the right shoulder open, creating one long line with the arms. This pose brings healthy movement to the spine while simultaneously stretching out the hips.
Cat/Cow Pose
It’s challenging to maintain a strong posture when hovering over a computer screen for hours, even while perched in a good desk chair. Our shoulders naturally want to round over, creating tightness in the upper body and back. By practicing cat and cow pose, you are opening up those muscles while also calming the mind.
Begin on all fours and when you inhale, arch your spine, creating a big curve in the low back. Gaze up at the ceiling and draw your shoulder blades back to create an opening in the chest – that’s cow pose. You can come into cat pose on the exhale, dramatically rounding the back, pressing the mat away with your finger pads, and drawing your chin in towards the chest. Repeat a few rounds going as slow or as fast as feels best.
Chest Opener
Chest Opener is a stretch that you can do without even getting up off the chair (however, it is highly encouraged to do so!). Like the cat and cow pose, this posture also offsets the damage caused by slumping over the computer, doing just as the name suggests: opening up the chest.
Try interlacing the fingertips behind the low back, aiming to connect your palms. Then draw the interlaced hands away from the low back, guiding the shoulder blades together as your chest broadens. Do this frequently throughout the day to relieve any tension from your already stressed muscles.
Lazy Pigeon
Lazy pigeon serves several parts of the body: the glutes, hips, and low back. These muscle groups suffer when the body remains in the same position for hours on end. If you’re primarily hunched over the keyboard all day, this stretch is for you.
Lay down, placing your feet’ soles on the floor, so the knees point towards the ceiling. Guide your right ankle above your left knee, creating a figure four diagram with the legs. Interlace your fingers around the left thigh and draw the knee in towards your nose. Hold for a few cycles of breath using your right elbow to open up the right knee, getting a deeper stretch in the hips. Be sure to repeat on the other side.
What are some super satisfying, essential stretches that you incorporate into your workday?
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