5 Stretches for Common Sedentary Lifestyle Pains
Hey Angels and Alphas,
Everyone in the female and male fitness world is well aware that, in this age of constant digitalization and connectedness, many people spend the majority of their days sitting down and staring at phone screens and laptops.
This fact has only become more visible since the pandemic because the world quickly transitioned to a work-from-home culture that had us living and working in the same space surrounded by all our devices.
While this way of working has brought certain freedom and convenience, it has also become a pain in the neck – literally.
The fact is, if you sit for an extended period of time, you’re at a higher risk of developing bad posture (and things that are much, much worse.)
Poor posture, such as slumping in your chair, will often lead to chronic neck, shoulder, and back pain.
Not to mention, the long-term effects of a lifestyle of prolonged sitting can cause more than pains and aches… it can even lead to blood clots and increasing your risk of certain cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. It will also cause you to gain weight and lose strength in certain muscle groups (specifically the glutes and legs.)
How can we avoid sitting too much?
Overall, it’s not all doom and gloom when it comes to sedentary lifestyles. Doctors and experts around the world have devised a couple of ways you can keep yourself from the negative effects of sitting for prolonged periods of time.
- If you’re talking on the phone, get up and move around.
- Get up from your desk for a short period of time and walk around for 3-5 minutes.
- Whenever you can, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Climbing the stairs is an awesome weight-bearing activity that benefits your bones, muscles, and heart.
- Park farther away from where you are going so you get in some extra steps in throughout the day.
So how do we relieve the usual work-from-home pains if we already have them?
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, it can be difficult to avoid sedentary lifestyle pains entirely. Below, we’re going to talk about the five most common ailments people with sedentary lifestyles experience and how to relieve each of them accordingly.
Your wrists. Excessive typing causes a lot of people to deal with cramp ups in their wrists. To relieve this, all you need is a standing shoulder stretch to alleviate the stiffness and ease tension. Stand up straight and cross your right arm across your chest, all while holding your left hand for about 15 seconds. Repeat with your left arm across your chest, and each time you should feel less and less tension.
Your shoulders. Your shoulders will become stiff after a few hours of sitting on a computer. With a simple standing shoulder stretch, you can alleviate some stiffness and tension. Stand up straight and then cross your right arm across your chest and hold that with your left hand for up to 30 seconds.
Your neck. Neck rolls are some of the most effective and easy stretches for loosening your neck muscles. Just start with your head tilted slightly to the right side and then roll your head front and to the right and the left side. Perform up to ten rolls for each side or until you feel the tension relieved.
Your lower back. If your lower back is taking the damage from all that sitting, it’s likely going to be tight. Sit on the floor with both your legs in front of you… with your shoulders back and back straight. Simply cross your left leg over your right and your left knee bent upward. Then place your right arm on the outside of your left leg and simply twist your upper body left/right. Hold this position for up to 30 seconds and repeat for both sides.
Your entire body: Use the child’s pose stretch as it is one of the most versatile exercises that stretches not only for the thighs, but also the shoulders, hips, and back. Simply kneel on the floor with your glutes touching the back of your calves. Press your legs together and spread apart in a V. Then lean forward with your arms stretched so your abdomen will lay across the top of your thighs. Then inhale through your nose for up to 10 seconds and exhale slowly. Repeat this for about a minute.
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