7 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 8 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
Strengthening the back and promoting spinal
health while sitting on a chair is possible, all you have to do is to
repeat this exercise on a daily basis. This exercise will energize the
sides of your body as well, and it's great at improving your overall
posture.
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.