Desk-bound
Are You Sitting Too Much?
Coach Justin Lowinski
Have you have found that you are extremely tight in your hips, lower back and upper back. What could possibly be the cause of this constant tightness?
Let’s say you are spending half an hour before and after your workouts working on your mobility and you train three to five days a week. This is a pretty standard workout schedule for most.
Now spend some time thinking about how often you sit throughout day – this includes on a toilet, at a dinner table, in your car, meetings at work, lounging around on the couch. In todays society we are very good at counting calories, steps taken during the day, when are next meeting is, but we forget to manage how much time we spend in a chair.
Long-duration sitting has been connected to a number of health problems. It has been linked to high blood pressure, obesity, and bad cholesterol. Sitting long periods can cause poor circulation, which long-term can lead to heart disease and other health issues. Exercising daily will not reverse the eight hours of sitting you have done. Here are some suggestions to help:
4 Movements to do at work:
Couch stretch. This stretch is designed to loosen up your quads and hips, this will also help with a tight back. You may use the floor and wall or standing. Raise one leg so the shin and foot lie flat against the wall, then step the other leg forward, foot beneath you. Engage glute’s, quads, and hips.
Pectorals stretch. This stretch is designed to loosen your chest muscles. Helping with forward shoulder position and tight upper back. Place arm flat against wall at a 45-degree angle. Turn away from arm against wall, the more you turn, the better stretch.
Ankle Stretch. This stretch is designed to loosen your calf. Place toes and ball of foot against wall, with your heel on the ground. Lean forward and feel the stretch in the calf.
Grok Squat Stretch. This stretch is designed to loosen hips, lower back, ankles, and knees. Place feet shoulder width apart and squat to the lowest depth you can. Keep your feet pointing forward and even weight from front to back of foot. Once in that position, use elbows to gently push knees out. Perform this movement up to 2 minutes, if you can.
By adding these easy mobility exercises into your daily routine and getting up often, you will not only move more efficiently in the gym, but you will also start to lengthen the tight tissues and hips that have occurred as a result of sitting. A general rule of thumb is for every hour you spend seated; you must spend 4 minutes on mobility.
Every class at CRAFT fitness includes comprehensive guided mobility time. Get a free intro, a mobility movement assessment, and try a session here:
Let’s do it! »