Those with sedentary jobs have long known what modern exercise science is just now proving: sitting in one place all day long is much harder than it looks!
Remain
ing seated for all or most of an eight-hour shift at work, which is often extended by a few hours on the couch each night, can literally take years off your life and is nearly as deleterious to good general health as a poor diet or a lack of exercise.
Of course, if your lifestyle combines more than one of these red flags, you should take even more immediate action.
But even when prolonged sitting doesn’t lead to more serious issues like diabetes, high blood-pressure, and cardiovascular disease, a sedentary lifestyle can still lead to shortened muscles, which too often results in chronic back pain, increasingly poor posture, and constant general soreness.
That’s why, in addition to staying active whenever possible and taking frequent breaks from any periods of prolonged sitting, those with sedentary jobs are recommended to set several small blocks of time aside each day to perform in-chair stretches.
Chances are, you know the tried-and-true classics like the cross-body arm pulls and chair-assisted trunk rotations. Those should still be practiced regularly, but here are a few less traditional chair stretches you can add to your routine to help keep your whole body loose and mobile in the long term.
Handcuff Stretch
Sit on the front half of your chair. Place your hands together behind your back, as if wearing handcuffs. Next, sit a straight as you can while pulling your shoulders back and pushing your chest forward. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds. You should feel the stretch throughout your chest and the front of your shoulders.
Cross-Knee Cat Stretch Supreme
Sitting normally in your chair, place your right hand palm down on your left knee and your left hand palm down on your right knee. In one smooth and controlled motion, lead slightly forward, arch your back like a cat, and create gentle outward pressure with your legs while continuing to hold both knees. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, but don’t force the stretch too hard. (You should feel this stretch across your trapezii, shoulders, and whole upper back.)
Seated Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the very edge of your chair and extend one leg with the toes pointed to the ceiling. Keeping your back straight and maintaining good posture, move your upper body forward until you feel a stretch in the hamstring of the extended leg. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. And don’t forget to also stretch the alternate leg!
Avoiding the many pitfalls of a sedentary lifestyle requires near constant vigilance and a variety of counteractive methods. Stretching throughout the day is only a small part of this, but, if practiced regularly, it can at least prevent your body from losing the ability to be active when the time and situation are right.
If you feel you would benefit from additional advice about stretching and avoiding an overly sedentary lifestyle, consider scheduling a session with a kinesiologist or certified personal trainer today!
Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer. For further information call 604-420-7800 or go to www.karpfitness.com.