My Favorite Stretches for People Who Sit Too Much

Oh that lovely 9-5… does it have you sitting most of the day? Do you notice any tightness, aches, or pains in your low back, hips, or neck? Do a quick “check-in” with yourself. Move around a little. What do you feel? If you have tightness anywhere, it could be due to the cumulative effects of sitting.

There are a few proactive steps you can take to battle the effects of sitting for too long. You can stretch, like we’ll be doing today, you could set a timer to get up and move around every 30-40 minutes. You could also opt for a standing des; this can help alleviate a lot of the discomfort that comes with sitting most of the day and provides more opportunities for movement and stretching.

Even if you have a standing desk (which I highly recommend), there are inevitably times you will need to sit – eating, meetings, etc. After coming home from a long day of… sitting… give yourself 12 minutes to unwind, open up, and you will feel so much better, I promise.

Poses:

Child’s pose: Toes touch, knees wide, arms reach out in front, rest forehead to mat.

Cobra variations: Lay on stomach, feet together, hands under shoulders, arms by sides, start by lifting the crown of your head up and have the rest of your vertebrae follow.

Face down chest opener: Assume the Happy Puppy pose. Lying face down, reach out to the side, press yourself over with the opposite arm.

Runners lunge: Right leg outside of right hand, back knee down, hands on blocks or mat, untuck toes, shift hips forward.

90-90 lunge: Back knee down, front leg foot down, create 90 degree angles with legs, rotate pelvis under, low belly pulls in and up, engage glute muscle to press hip forward for a hip flexor stretch.

Restorative Poses:

Supported bridge pose with a block: Lie on your back, place your feet on the mat about a foot from your seat, place a block under your sacrum.

Single leg modified bridge with a block: Release one leg straight, pull the other knee toward your chest (gently).

Supinated butterfly: Lie on back, legs wide soles of feet together, press hands into the top of thighs, create space in lower back.

Legs up the wall (or hips on a block): Keep the block under your sacrum, lift your legs vertical.

You made it through!! See doesn’t that feel better?

I do this routine any time I’m feeling tight, immobile, stuck, having pain in my back or hips, you name it. Do this every day and you will notice a major difference in your body mobility!

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