Top 4 stretches for people who sit behind a desk or have a long commute
“This is where I spend most of my time,” said Jessica Metzlerpointing to her work desk.
Metzler is a Waterford resident who runs a social media marketing business out of her home.
She hunkers down at a computer desk about 8-to-10 hours a day. She said that posture started to become a pain!
“[The pain] was in my shoulders and in my neck. Those were the first places I noticed it. And then eventually it kind of went down to my lower back and my hips,” she explained.
Metzler turned to practitioner-assisted stretching at Stretch Zone in Royal Oak. She felt so good after one session, she now goes once a week!
“We see bad posture, and we see imbalances from muscle,” said Tony Maino, General Manager of Stretch Zone Royal Oak.
Maino said probably 80-percent of people who come in complain of strain from sitting too much.
So, we asked him for the top 4 stretches you can do at home or at work to ease the tension!
--WATCH DEMONSTRATION IN VIDEO PLAYER--
#1 – Kneeling hip flexor stretch
“Abs are strong. Chest is out. And we’re going to lean forward a little bit here [on one knee] feeling that stretch in that hip flexor psoas area – That’s the area that is flexed when we’re sitting,” demonstrated Maino.
Hold each stretch for about 30 seconds and then shift to the other side. Remember to breathe while stretching. Don’t hold your breath.
#2 – Seated Piriformis Stretch.
“[The] piriformis is a small muscle that lies underneath your glute,” explained Maino.
To do this, sit up straight with your shoulders back. Lift one leg up and rest that ankle on the opposite knee.
“Pull that knee up - again sitting up nice and tall - and you should feel it right through the glute,” said Maino.
You’ll feel it in the glute right away. It’s a great stretch!
Hold…breathe…switch legs…and repeat.
#3 -- Seated Hamstring Stretch
Sit with one leg extended out, resting on the heel of the foot.
“What I want you to really focus on is keeping that toe up,” said Maino. “That’s going to really help isolate those hamstring muscles.”
You can lean over the leg with your arms extended, one hand on top of the other resting on the knee.
When you feel the stretch, hold it! Breathe, and then switch legs and start over.
#4 -- Chicken Wing Neck Stretch
“We’re going to take one arm behind (your back), and we’re going to take the head over to the side where the hand is pointing behind your back,” said Maino.
“If grabbing behind your back is too much, you can put the arm just behind your back and even just go with your head,” he added explaining that you can give a gentle pull, but you never want to pull too hard.
Stretch each side for about 30 seconds. Then shake it out!
if you want to go to the next level, Stretch Zone uses practitioners who position, stabilize, isolate, and manipulate muscles to help increase range of motion and quality of movement.
Clients include everybody from pro athletes to active baby boomers.
These four stretches are just what you can do on your own to help ease the tightness.
Again, Maino reminds you to continue breathing throughout. Don’t hold your breath!
Good luck!
If you have a story idea or question about our Living a Better Life series, Alicia Smith would like to hear from you. Please email her at Alicia.smith@wxyz.com with Living A Better Life in the subject line. Thanks!
