Imagine if some strange force was preventing you from standing fully erect. We already have gravity to contend with, but you may have another insidious force working against you—your office chair and your desk in general.
I call it the sit and slump, and millions of Americans endure it each day. When finished with sitting and slumping at work, many continue to sit and slump behind the wheel, at the dinner table, and in front of the TV set.
If this describes you, there are several great stretches you can do to keep your body lengthened and your posture erect.
Good posture makes you look more confident, relieves pain, and does a bunch of other things that should make you want to do these stretches a few times a week.
Seated Hamstring Stretch
Sit on the ground and place one leg straight out in front of you and the other folded up with the foot pressed against the thigh of the straight leg. Fold from the hips and reach for your straight leg’s foot.
When your muscles tighten to resist your stretch, tighten them even more, without losing any stretch. It helps to imagine driving your heel in the ground when you are tightening your muscles.
Then relax and breathe out a sigh of relief. Repeat the tense / release process 2-3 times. When you reach the greatest stretch, tighten your muscles and hold the tension for several seconds to ‘reset’ the nervous system to the new length. Then relax and come up.
It is easy to ‘cheat’ and fold your back over to give the appearance of getting a greater stretch. Resist this temptation and give your focus to stretching your hamstrings.
You should feel this stretch in the back of your leg, but not the back of the knee. If you feel the stretch there you are going too far too soon.
You can hit different parts of the hamstring (it’s actually three different muscles) by stretching directly over the leg, about 45 degrees to outside of the leg, and 45 degrees to the inside of the leg.
Along with the hip flexors, the hamstrings tighten during long periods of sitting and can negatively impact posture.
Hip Flexor Stretch
Kneel on the ground, placing one knee on a pillow (or soft earth) with the other leg in front, foot flat on the ground. Place your hands on your hips and push your hips forward and then pull them back, rhythmically.
You should feel this stretch in about the same place as you can see my hand. The hip flexors connect to the back. Many people experience back pain due to tight hip flexors. Tight hip flexors pull on the back and can alter the natural curve of the back.
As you push your hips forward, you can simultaneously look up and arch your back rearward. This helps to open the chest, which is another important feature of good posture and another area that excessive sitting impacts negatively.
Do 5-10 oscillations, then switch to the other leg.
Chest Stretch
Clasp your hands behind your back and straighten your arms by rolling your shoulders down and back. Open your chest and tilt your head and neck back, looking upward at the ceiling. Push the hips forward.
Hold for 10-20 seconds, but do not strain. Imagine your posture improving and your spine lengthening. You can do this stretch a few times a day, especially if you are working on your posture.
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