Stretches to do at work to improve posture
If you are in an industry that has you sat down at a desk most of the day. You will want to incorporate these stretches into your day to improve your posture. Sitting down is one of the worst things to be doing with our body. It isn’t built to sit down, it’s built to move.
Why stretch?
As you get older your muscles start to get tighter and therefore need to be stretched out more often. Most of the time people don’t do this and end up with a number of different physical difficulties. This usually starts to happen when you get past 40 years of age and are stuck at a desk job or you are under active during the time away from the desk. If you stretch you will keep the body flexible and keep a good ROM (range of movement).
When is the best time to start a stretch routine?
There is no better time like the present. You can stretch any time you want and you don’t need any equipment for your routine. It doesn’t matter what age you are, stretching will help you at any age. It’s not just something for after a workout or sport. You can get tight in the whole of your body from just sitting down too long. Therefore, adding in a stretch routine in the morning, midday or evening will benefit your body throughout life.
The following stretches are going to help you stretch tight areas of your body
Thoracic spine stretch with foam roller
This is a great stretch to improve your posture. Start by lying on the foam roller with it on your thoracic spine. Bring your arms over your head and let them fall by your ears to open up your chest. This movement will open up your anterior chain of your upper body and help the upper back move in the right way.
Band work to open up the chest
If you have a long strength (light tension) band or physio band you will be able to do the following chest mobility exercises. Hold the band in both hands and pull it tight with your arms straight then bring it up and over your head right over towards your bum. Continue this 10-15 times. Then hold the band above your head and flex your body side to side stretching your obliques and lats.
Childs pose with a lat stretch
Position yourself in a child’s pose position which will help stretch your hips and your lower back. From this are reach both hands in front of you and then to the side to stretch out the side of your body. You will feel this stretch from your lats to your obliques.
Standing quad stretch
If you hold onto a wall to support your stretch. Bend your knee so that you can reach your foot then all it towards your bum whilst pushing your hips forward. This will help stretch out your hip flexors from sitting down to long in a chair or car.
Hip flexor stretch
If you have ever done yoga you will have seen this stretch or pose called a warrior 1. However, you can also call it a hip flexor stretch. Hip flexors can get really tight from sitting down too long. So, if you set yourself up in a long lunge position with your back knee on the ground and push your stretching hip flexor forward it will help release them. This will also help lower back pain because it releases a muscle in your lumbar spine.
Seated knee hug glute stretch
Sit with your legs out in front of you, place you leg over the other and hug it in towards your chest. This will start to stretch your glutes. To improve the stretch lift your chest up to straighten out your spine. This will put more emphasis on your glutes. Helping you to increase range of motion in the posterior chain.
I add all of these stretches into my client routines, as a personal trainer in Weybridge I have may executive client and business owners who work in the city and need to be stretched due to their posture during the working day. If this is you contact us to see what we can help you with.