6 Stretches You Need To Do If You’re Sitting All Day
|Are you from those people that your job requires you to sit on a chair for more than six hours per day, or you may spend a lot of time in your car on a daily basis, and what is the habit of lying on the couch in front of the TV hours before you go in bed or whether you are at all aware of your sedentary lifestyle?
It is well known to us that sitting for a long time every day is quite destructive for our health, but it seems that we do not take it very seriously, but research shows that sitting for a longer period of time can lead to a number of health problems over time, some of them are obesity, metabolic disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, painful diversity of back problems and osteoporosis, all of this sounds pretty serious.
Also, when you move around or at least sit right, your abdominal muscles are trying to keep you upright. But when you relax in a chair, they are quite unused and are in that state for a long time, but on the other hand, repeated periods of prolonged sitting place hip flexors in a tightened, shortened position, which leads them to rewrite and are stiff over time, while at the same time extensors of the pillars are continually prolonged and weakened.
Also, what happens is that the muscular activity required for standing and performing movements directly affect the breakdown of fat and sugars in the body. So when you sit, the whole metabolic process slows down, causing you to gain weight around your waist and increase many other health risks, so your muscles are weakened, your shoulders and muscles in the back are bound, the spine loses flexibility.
Then even brain activity slows down due to reduced pumping of fresh blood and oxygen, and you also have certainly noticed that your circulation slows down after hours to hit the desk. In fact, it happens that your blood flows slower, improving the chances of fatty acids to get your heartbeat, and also a sedentary lifestyle is already associated with significant blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as an increased risk of many cardiovascular diseases.
So this horrible list of what’s going on can take a long time, but the question is what can we do about, whether there is a way to fight the effects of prolonged seating, especially if we can not change our working conditions or the daily schedule at the moment.
Normally, you can do something about it, so the first thing you can do to get rid of the unpleasant seating effects is to get up and move around for a few minutes each hour, and as for the next step, you should definitely try out a list of simple but powerful parts inspired by yoga that we have compiled for you, so in order to get the best results, make them twice a day in this exact sequence by holding each of the stretches in thirty seconds.
Supported Backbend
-This exercise will help you improve your posture by activating the muscles supporting the spine and to do it you need to stand facing away from a wall and then slowly lean back towards the wall. Then you need with your arms over your head, supporting your body weight with the palms, elbows bent backwards. And then start moving your hands down the wall until you begin to feel a good stretch in the back. Next, you need to take long, deep breaths and hold the position until it becomes more comfortable.
Lunge with Rotation
-So, this exercise is good for maintaining the flexibility of the spine. And also building more strength in your legs and shoulders at the same time and to do it you need from a standing position to take a big step forward with your right foot into a lunge. Then your right knee should not extend past your toes and next you need to place your hands on either side of your right foot and at the same time, lift your right arm toward the ceiling and turn your gaze upward. Then you need to switch sides and repeat.
Shoulder Opener
-So we said that extended sitting hunches the back and pulls the shoulders inwards. And that’s why shoulder opening exercises are very beneficial for the chest, shoulders, spine and back muscles and to do it you need to stand up straight, holding a rope or a belt in each hand behind your back. And then you need to slowly start raising your arms behind you as high as you can, pulling your shoulders back and together at the same time.
Low Cobra
-This exercise strengthens the back, opens the chest and stretches the hip flexors (the muscles that get very tight and, stiff from being bent in a seated position) and to do it you need to lie face down with your body resting in one straight line and then press your forearms into the floor. And next you need to pull your shoulders back as you raise your head up. And bend your back backwards.
Star Reach
-So, this exercise is a very easy position. And that nicely stretches the whole body from head to toes, including the shoulders, chest, hips and knees, providing a great relief for those stiffened joints and to do it you need to stand with your legs slightly wider than hip width. And then you need to raise your arms high with palms facing forward and then spread your fingers and rise high on your toes.
Number 4 Sit
Also, the long hours of sitting can lead to atrophy of the piriformis, a tiny muscle located in the buttock region. And this stretch can help you maintain its flexibility, so to do it you need to be in a seated position, cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Then you need to use your right hand to apply a bit of pressure to the inside of your right knee.
Next, you need to slightly lean forward until you feel a gentle stretch in your right piriformis and then hold the stretch as you inhale an so, when you exhale, attempt to apply a bit more pressure. And then you need to lean a half an inch farther forward into the stretch. And then do the same with each breath and the switch sides and repeat.
Source: Team Fitness Training