9 Stretches That Prevent Damage from Prolonged Sitting
Most of us spend our day sitting, whether
in the car, on the train, at the office, or at home, and practically
everywhere. Unfortunately, sitting for hours during the day is very
harmful to your body's health and muscles, but today you will learn some
stretches that will help neutralize the damage. These exercises are
recommended after a day of prolonged sitting, and they won’t take you
much time or energy – they’ll all stretch and strengthen the muscles
affected by being stagnant all day.
1. Seated leg stretch
When you sit in a chair, the angle between your thighs and upper body is
small, which causes your thigh muscles to shorten. To avoid this, do
the following stretch.
1. While sitting on a chair, place your
right heel on your left knee and keep your back straight.
2. Bend forward with your torso toward your thighs until you feel a
stretch, and push yourself slightly to the right to stretch the muscle
properly.
3. Stay in this position for 60 seconds, then switch legs.
2. Seated spinal twist
When sitting all day our good posture tends to hunch over, which puts
pressure on the lower back and leads to pain. The next stretch will help
you neutralize the damage, improve posture, and relieve lower back
pain.
1. Sit on a chair with your back straight
and place your legs next to each other with your knees facing forward.
2. Turn your upper body to the right, while your left hand holds the
outside of your right thigh to help stretch your body.
3. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and try to stretch the spine as
much as possible. Then do the exercise to the other side as well.
3. Neck stretch
When we work in front of a computer while sitting, our shoulders bend
forward and cause the muscles in the neck, shoulders, and chest to
become tense and with time become strained. The next stretch, despite
its simplicity, will help you avoid this.
1. Sit on a chair with your back straight and tilt your shoulders as far back as possible.
2. Try holding your right ear to your right shoulder - use your right hand to apply light pressure.
3. To further optimize the stretch, stretch your left hand toward the floor.
4. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and repeat it to the other side.
4. Spinal stretch
The upper and lower back are both damaged during prolonged sitting.
Apart from the pain, we experience in the back after sitting for many
hours, our posture also becomes impaired, and the next stretch helps
prevent related problems.
1. Sit on a chair with your back straight,
and stretch your arms above your head bringing your hands together with
your palms facing the ceiling.
2. Be sure to spread your weight on both thighs and not just one of
them, and stretch your hands up and to the right – you should feel the
stretch on the left side of your body.
3. To further the stretch, try lowering your shoulders keeping them as
far away from your ears as possible. Make sure to keep your back
straight and not to twist it.
4. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and then perform the stretch on
the other side.
5. Chest opener
When we sit with our shoulders slumped over, our chest becomes strained.
To improve our posture the chest needs to be released, and the
following stretch will do just that.
1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your
back straight.
2. Bring your hands together behind your back and stretch your shoulder
blades backward.
3. Raise your hands as much as possible to further the stretch
4. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and release.
6. Lunge
The next stretch will counteract the uneven muscle development caused by
prolonged sitting, and is particularly effective when combined with
weight training to strengthen the thighs.
1. Start kneeling with your left knee on
the floor and your right knee bent 90 degrees. Place your hands at your
sides to balance yourself.
2. Stretch your back up and your bottom down, and keep your back
straight, making sure not to hunch over.
3. To further the stretch lift your hands over your head and lean
forward slightly, without bending your back.
4. Stay in this position for 30 seconds, switch legs and perform again.
7. Hamstring stretch
Our knees stiffen after sitting for a long time, which reduces their
range of motion. It is possible to prevent this as well as to restore
their full movement without discomfort, using the following stretch.
1. Lie on your back with your feet flat on
the floor and knees bent
2. Stretch your right leg toward the ceiling, while holding your thigh
with your hands.
3. Straighten the leg as much as possible and stretch it without locking
the knee.
4. To further the stretch, try to bring the toes of the foot towards the
floor by stretching the foot only.
5. Stay in this position for 60 seconds, then repeat it with the other
leg.
8. The child's pose
This pose, along with the next, helps stretch the back and prevents the
appearance of a hunchback. Do one after the other for the best results.
1. Kneel and keep your back straight.
2. Bring your buttocks back to your heels and stretch your arms forward -
make sure your knees remain apart.
3. Stretch your arms as far as possible and stay in this position for 60
seconds.
9. Cobra Stretch
This stretch continues the previous stretch and comes immediately after,
and its purpose is to strengthen the abdominal muscles to support
proper posture.
1. Lie on your stomach and place your
elbows under your shoulders - support your body with your forearms.
2. Press the abdominal muscles and lift the chest up. Try stretching the
upper back and not applying pressure to the lower back.
3. Push the shoulders down and keep them away from your ears to further
the stretch.
4. Stay in this position for 30 seconds and release.
One last tip for anyone who sits for long hours during the day
Apart from these stretching exercises, it is highly recommended that you
stand up and take a short walk about once an hour. Instead of sending
an email to a colleague, go to their desk and talk to them face to face.
You can also go for a short walk after lunch or simply stretch your
body occasionally - all of these will ease the damage caused to your
body by sitting for a long time.