Pain-Relieving Stretches You Can Do Seated in a Chair
A
sedentary lifestyle can leave our joints and muscles aching in need of a
good stretch, but many people are limited in time and have other
restrictions that make daily exercising a real struggle. No matter if
you’re a busy bee toiling away at work all day, a hardworking student,
or a senior limited in their range of motion, this seated stretch
routine will bring relief from pain and tightness in the muscles and
tendons and other musculoskeletal conditions.
All 7 of these beginner-friendly stretches can be done in a chair and are
equally simple and effective at relieving pain and tightness in
different areas of the body.
1. Neck Stretch
Needless
to say, you can simply tilt your head back and forth or rotate it in
circles to loosen up a tight neck, but if you're looking for a deeper
stretch, this neck exercise is just what you need. This particular
stretch is also very safe, as by raising your arm over the head, you're
actually making your upper back straighten up, and this can help prevent
your neck from getting hurt.
Directions:
1. Sit
up straight and raise your right arm overhead, resting your right palm
over the left ear. Try to avoid your right elbow from going forward, as
this can strain your neck.
2.
Slowly and gently bend your head to the right while simultaneously
pressing your head against the right hand. You will start feeling a
stretch on the left side of the neck.
3. Hold for 2-3 minutes and then repeat on the other side. You can repeat the stretch as many times as you'd like.
2. Heart Opener
This
is one of the most powerful stretches you can do for your upper body,
as it activates your shoulders, arms, and chest muscles, and makes your
upper spine straighten up right away, so it is truly a heart opener.
This stretch is especially useful for those of you who work at the
computer or read a lot, as it is essentially the opposite of hunching
forward, so it will bring relief to a stiff neck and aching shoulders,
and can even help you breathe easier, as it stretches the entire
ribcage.
Directions:
1. Sit
at the edge of your chair and take hold of the back of the chair, like
the trainer does in the image above. It is important to pull down the
shoulders and bring the shoulder blades as close together as possible to
feel an effective stretch.
2. If
you don't feel any effect right away, simply continue breathing and you
will soon start feeling a pleasant stretch in your neck, shoulders, and
chest. To deepen the stretch, you can also raise your hands further up
on the back of the chair.
3. Hold this position for 3-5 minutes and repeat as many times a day as you'd like.
3. Forearm Shoulder Stretch
Here
is another stretch that targets the shoulder muscles, but it's a lot
gentler and more focused than the previous one. The exercise targets the
back portion of the shoulder muscles, as well as the arms, making it
perfect for both shoulder pain and tension in the neck.
Directions:
1. Extend
your left arm in front of you at shoulder level, then use your right
forearm to move the left arm closer to the chest until you start feeling
a stretch in the left side of the neck and the left shoulder. Don't
worry if your forearm doesn't reach the chest, the most important thing
is to feel a stretch.
2. Hold for 2-3 minutes and then repeat on the other side.
4. Reach For the Sky
This
is one of the easiest stretches you can do, and it really energizes
your upper body and activates the spine. Simply lock your fingers
together and reach high into the sky with a straight spine. To really
feel this posture, move from side to side, backward and forward - this
will help you stretch the side muscles and arms.
A
little trick here is to push the shoulders down while stretching the
arms up, as this will ensure you're not straining your neck while doing
this exercise. If you can manage to hold this position for a few minutes
without lowering your hands for a few repetitions, the exercise can
even be quite effective at activating the back and core muscles.
5. Wrist Pain Relief
Wrist
pain is another one of those occupational hazards, no matter if you
draw, write a lot, type a lot, or garden. Your wrists are among the most
sensitive joints in your body, and constant strain and inflammation can
really make them become painful.
The first exercise
targets the inner side of your wrist: extend your arms at shoulder
level, then press the right hand against the inner part of the left
palm, and slowly increase the pressure until you feel a stretch in your
hand and forearm (see image above). Hold for a few minutes, and then
repeat on the other side.
To stretch the outer arm muscles in a second similar stretch,
simply press the right hand against the top of the left hand and hold
for a few minutes. Don't forget to repeat on both sides.
6. Tricep Stretch
This
exercise is designed to stretch the triceps, so it can help relieve
shoulder pain and neck strain without any particular effort or tension
put on the spine or neck.
Directions:
1.
Reaching both arms overhead, bend the right arm and hold the right
elbow with the left hand. In this position, your right hand should
nearly or completely be touching the left shoulder blade.
2. Using the left hand, pull the right elbow gently down, which should produce a stretch in your right side and right tricep.
3. Hold for 3-5 minutes, then repeat on the opposite side.
7. Energizing the Spine
Directions:
1. Raise
the right arm overhead while simultaneously holding the right thigh
with your left hand. If this sounds confusing, just see the reference
image above.2. On an exhale, slowly and mindfully tilt your torso towards the left. Continue reaching your arm towards the right as well. Activate your abdominal muscles and pull your shoulders together to maintain a straight posture.
3. Hold this pose for 1-2 minutes, breathing deeply to make the stretch more effective. Then repeat on the other side. Try to do at least 3 reps on each side.