8. Loosen it up!
You already know that maintaining a seated position for an extended period of time will cause your body to adapt in order to maintain that position. What can you do to counteract this tendency? Loosen up those muscles and the surrounding connective tissue by gently stretching them back to their original length!
When you’re taking a short break from your desk or your recliner, do a few of these stretches to get your body back into shape.
Stretch it up: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, clasp your hands together and raise them above your head, palms up. Gently stretch from the middle of your back. Stretch as high as you can and hold it for 20 to 30 seconds — but keep breathing! Then stretch up a bit more and a little to the right — stretch high and hold. (Breathe!) Then stretch up and little to your left, and hold! The goal is to get as much space between the vertebrae as you possibly can! Release, letting your arms fall to your sides. Shake out your hands.
Stretch it down: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, bend forward from the waist slowly and gently, with your arms hanging toward the floor. Let the weight of your upper body (working with the force of gravity) gradually pull your head and shoulders toward the floor. Keep breathing! Continue this stretch for at least 30 seconds, stretching out your entire back and the back of your legs. Do NOT strain or bounce.
TIP: Be sure not to strain or bounce during any of these stretches. Overly vigorous stretching can actually cause injury. So just keep it slow, and lengthen those muscles gently!
Twist it: Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, lift your arms to shoulder level with your elbows bent and your hands relaxed in front of your chest. Without moving your head or your feet, slowly twist from the waist as far as you can to the right. Then twist as far as you can to the left. Do this gently and rhythmically for at least 30 seconds, breathing normally and feeling the stretch in your upper back.
Stretch your shoulders: Standing up straight or sitting straight on a hard chair, raise your arms to shoulder level with your elbows bent and your hands relaxed in front of your chest. Stretch both elbows as far backwards as you can, opening your chest and pressing your shoulder blades together. Breathe deeply and continue the stretch for five seconds. Then cross your arms in front of you with your hands reaching towards your back. Exhale and continue the stretch for five seconds. Repeat five times.
Roll your shoulders: Standing up straight or sitting straight on a hard chair, let your arms hang loosely at your sides. Slowly stretch your shoulders up towards your ears and then as far back down as you can, pressing your shoulder blades together. Do this ten times, slowly. Then stretch your shoulders up and as far forward as you can, pulling your shoulder blades apart. Do this ten times, slowly. Remember to keep breathing!
These five exercises will relieve muscle tension in your back and can help “reboot” your posture. All together, they take less than five minutes! (But if you only have a one-minute break, just choose one or two!) Hopefully, you can find the time to do them all several times a day for your back’s sake! And don’t these slow stretches feel great? TIP: Remember to continue breathing slowly as you do these exercises. Don’t concentrate so hard that you forget to breathe!
Next time: “Sleep wisely and well!”