Have you heard the news? Sitting is the new smoking!
That’s right. Some researchers and doctors are now convinced that sitting too much can cause nearly as many health problems as smoking cigarettes.
Sitting at a desk all day long puts tremendous strain on the body. Therefore, you should take every opportunity you can to get up and move; thereby undoing the damage of sitting.
In this post, I’ll review a quick, 4-exercise stretching series you can perform a few times a day to keep your hips loose and pain-free. Performing this series regularly can help you combat the stress of sitting in just a few weeks!
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1. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch on the Floor
The hip flexors are perhaps the muscle group that is most affected by excessive sitting. For this reason, I have included multiple hip flexor stretches in this routine.
How to Perform
- Start in a kneeling position on the floor, with your right leg forward.
- Inch your right foot forward in front of you until you feel a light stretch in the front of your back hip.
- Continue to lean forward as far as you can.
- Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times on each side.
2. Extended Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch
The first exercise in this list outlined a classic hip flexor stretch. This version also incorporates the rest of the quadriceps muscles in order to achieve a full, deep stretch in the front of the leg.
How to Perform
- Starting near a wall, facing away from it, place your left knee on the ground and your right leg forward, assuming a kneeling position.
- Next, carefully bend your back knee and scoot as close to the wall as you can, placing your foot on said wall.
- Perform the kneeling hip flexor stretch as described in the previous section.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times per side.
3. Half-Pigeon Stretch
One of the other muscles that becomes extremely tight as a result of sitting all day is the piriformis. The half-pigeon is a great way to stretch out this key muscle.
How to Perform
- Start in a double kneeling position, with both knees on the floor.
- Next, use your hands to help position the outside of your right ankle in front of your left knee.
- Slowly, push your right ankle forward as you slide your left knee backward.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times per side.
4. Child’s Pose
The child’s pose is a terrific movement for loosening up the back, hips, and other areas of the body. This movement balances out the other exercises on this list and provides significant relief for sore muscles throughout the trunk and legs.
How to Perform
- Start with both knees on the ground.
- Next, sit back on your ankles, aiming to bring your buttocks into contact with your heels.
- At the same time, reach your hands forward as far as you can.
- Hold this stretch for 30 seconds and repeat 4 times.
Conclusion
Sitting is a serious problem for society today. Luckily, you can negate some of the effects of sitting by stretching regularly. Perform this routine at least once a day and watch as your stiffness improves!
Works Cited
- Vallance JK, Gardiner PA, Lynch BM, D’Silva A, Boyle T, Taylor LM, Johnson ST, Buman MP, Owen N. Evaluating the Evidence on Sitting, Smoking, and Health: Is Sitting Really the New Smoking? Am J Public Health. 2018 Nov;108(11):1478-1482. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304649. Epub 2018 Sep 25. PMID: 30252516; PMCID: PMC6187798.
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