It is natural for humans to stand but one position that doesn’t seem to work out well is when we sit for long periods of time. In fact, it isn’t long after we sit down that our body begins to feel the effects and some damage begins to occur. That is why it is good to get up frequently and stretch, but most of us don’t pay attention to that advice.
For many of us, sitting is a way of life. We sit all day at work, often hunched over a computer and when we get home, we sit in front of the telly. It doesn’t take long before we start to do some serious harm to the spine and we begin to feel the pain from it. Fortunately, there are some things that can be done to correct the issue.
The following 5 stretches can put you back on the road to a healthier spine. Do them regularly and they will help you to regain a full range of motion, avoid pain and feel looser. Try them for a week and you will never turn back again.
5 Exercises To Help Avoid The Pain Of Sitting
1. Glute Bridges
Lay on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Keeping your feet and shoulders on the floor, raise your hips and butt until your body is in a straight line; then lower your body back down again. Do 3 sets of 10 of those exercises. You can add weight by holding it on your thighs.
2. Couch Stretch
This one is a bit more advanced but well worth the effort.
Put one leg on the floor and one on the couch so that the knee is touching the back. Flex your butt and abs and slowly raise your torso until you are standing tall. Hold the position for 5 minutes then switch legs.
You can increase the difficulty by bringing the foot that is on the floor up to the seat of the couch and raising your torso to a neutral position.
3. Grok Squat
Put your body in a squatting position with your feet on the floor. Keep your back straight and your butt as low as possible. It is similar to a baseball catcher position. This should stretch the legs, back and groin.
4. Leg Swings
Perhaps you have seen this move at the gym. People use it to loosen up.
Hold onto something or balance and swing your leg back and forth as high as it can go. Start with a front to back motion and then move to a side to side. Do 20 of each type.
5. Fire Hydrants
They have earned this name because it looks like you are a dog peeing on a fire hydrant.
Get on all fours and raise your leg out to the side as high as it can go. Keep your leg bent; then lower it down again. This should work the hips and the butt.
One other exercise you can do is to get up and walk around every half hour, more or less. That is perhaps the hardest exercise to do, so if you must sit for hours on end, do these exercises 5 days a week.
H/T: The Hearty Soul
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