The U.S. Department of Labor reports that over 34.6 million American workers are employed in sales/office jobs. Despite the changing work landscape--more people working from home or remotely, self-employment/entrepreneurship, etc.--that's a heck of a lot of people who likely spend the majority of their day on their bottom.
Lately, there's been no dearth of articles, research studies, and fear-mongers vilifying sitting for extended periods. Just Google "Is sitting bad for your health?" and you'll see what I mean. Some articles compare sitting to smoking in terms of the negative impact it has on your health. While it's hard for me to fathom that sitting could be as bad for your health as smoking, I do understand the point: prolonged sitting is bad for you--for us--and it has been correlated to increased incidences of chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.
Those of us with office jobs that require us to sit at a desk for 7-9 hours a day are at a distinct disadvantage to our counterparts with more active occupations. Not only do folks with office jobs tend to have higher rates of chronic disease, they're also more likely to experience ailments related to postural distortions like a sore neck and shoulders and lower back pain. To add insult to injury, extended periods of sitting at work is taxing on the body, and lethargy is a significant deterrent to physical activity.
As an office worker myself, I understand the side effects of extended periods of sitting. But luckily for us all, I care enough about our collective future health to do something to counteract its negative effects! Not only do I make an effort to get up and walk around the office as much as possible, I also like to move and stretch the parts of my body that get particularly tight as a result of sitting in an ergonomically-challenged office chair. Be warned: you may get some funny looks from your co-workers at first, but the improved posture and boost of energy you get from completing these exercises 3-4 times a day while at your desk will be worth it!! Heck, those skeptic colleagues may just join you in the fun!
Seated forward fold: Bring your bottom forward in your chair, place your feet wide and flat on the floor, knees bent. Drop your head between your knees and let everything go. You can grab hold of opposite elbows if you like, and/or add a gentle side-to-side movement to further release the lower back. Take 15-20 slow, deep breaths in this pose.
Standing forward fold: Stand up alongside your chair. With your feet between hip-and-shoulder-width apart, drop the head between the legs. Stay soft in the knees. You can grab hold of opposite elbows if you like, and/or add a gentle side-to-side movement to further release the lower back. Take 15-20 slow, deep breaths in this pose.Those of us with office jobs that require us to sit at a desk for 7-9 hours a day are at a distinct disadvantage to our counterparts with more active occupations. Not only do folks with office jobs tend to have higher rates of chronic disease, they're also more likely to experience ailments related to postural distortions like a sore neck and shoulders and lower back pain. To add insult to injury, extended periods of sitting at work is taxing on the body, and lethargy is a significant deterrent to physical activity.
As an office worker myself, I understand the side effects of extended periods of sitting. But luckily for us all, I care enough about our collective future health to do something to counteract its negative effects! Not only do I make an effort to get up and walk around the office as much as possible, I also like to move and stretch the parts of my body that get particularly tight as a result of sitting in an ergonomically-challenged office chair. Be warned: you may get some funny looks from your co-workers at first, but the improved posture and boost of energy you get from completing these exercises 3-4 times a day while at your desk will be worth it!! Heck, those skeptic colleagues may just join you in the fun!
Seated forward fold: Bring your bottom forward in your chair, place your feet wide and flat on the floor, knees bent. Drop your head between your knees and let everything go. You can grab hold of opposite elbows if you like, and/or add a gentle side-to-side movement to further release the lower back. Take 15-20 slow, deep breaths in this pose.
"L" is for Lats stretch: Step about 2-3 feet behind your chair. Keeping the knees soft, especially if you have tight hamstrings (which most chronic sitters do!), bend at the waist, grasping the back of the chair with both hands. Straighten the arms without locking out the elbows and imagine you're trying to push the chest down to touch the floor. As you ease into this pose, think about squeezing the lats and shoulders down your back. Keep your core engaged. With each breath, try to straighten the knees a little more and push the chest down even more to release the shoulders. Take 15-20 slow, deep breaths in this pose.
Shoulder mobility exercise: Stand up with your back against a wall. Bring your arms overhead, bending them at the elbows, fingers touching above the head. Engage your core, and slowly glide the arms down the wall. Pull the shoulders down away from the ears and squeeze the lats. When your elbows reach your sides, glide your arms back up to start. Perform 10-15 repetitions, breathing with the movement.
Hip flexor stretch on a chair: Step in front of your chair. Bend one knee and grab onto the front of your foot with your hand. Lower the knee onto the chair seat. Keep a slight bend in the front standing leg, and slowly pull the heel toward your bum. The further you walk the front leg out, the deeper the stretch in your hip flexor. Pull the hip of the bent leg forward and open up the chest. Take 10-15 long, deep breaths in this position and then switch legs.
Spend 5-7 minutes performing these stretches 3-4 times a day, and you'll feel less irritable, more supple, and less fatigued throughout the day. A little movement does wonders to energize the body...you won't even need that pm caffeine jolt anymore!!
Leave a comment below if you try these stretches, and let me know how it goes! Enjoy your weekend, everyone!
Love these hil! Though if I forget to close my office door I get some weird side eye from passersby....
ReplyDeleteYay! So happy you tried them :-)
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