3 easy stretches you need to do daily if you sit at a desk all day.

Chest stretching

This is an easy one. Find a doorway and you’re off. Bend the elbow to 90 degrees, elbow into the doorway. Turn your body to the opposite side, turning the neck to the same side. Hold for 30-60 seconds each side.

Hip flexor stretching

The hip flexors are often overlooked when it comes to stretching. If you sit all day then your hip flexors will become shortened and tight, especially if you sit so your knees are higher than your hips. This will use the hip flexors muscles even more and also shorten them more.

Try this one:

Stand up and hold onto your chair. Bend one leg and take hold of the ankle so the knee is bent. Pull the heel towards the buttock. Now pull back more on the ankle so that the knee comes back further than the hips. You should feel this stretch at the front of the hips. Try to tuck the pelvis under to increase the stretch. Stretch both sides and hold for at least 30 seconds increasing to over a minute.

Spinal extension

The best way to do this stretch is over a foam roller. You can also just do this in your chair as a stretch.

Foam roller: Place foam roller across your spine just at the base of the ribs. Place hands behind the head and extend over the foam roller. Stay over the roller for at least 30 seconds, breathing deeply.

Move foam roller a few inches higher. Repeat.

Move foam roller a few inches higher and you guessed it, repeat.

So basically you repeat this 3 times in total.

The point of this stretch is to counter the effects of slumping at the desk.

Chair: Place both hands behind the head and extend backwards with a big deep breath in. Exhale, breathing out squeezing elbows together, bending the head forward and slumping the chest.

This helps to get the spine moving and loosening it up.

The more you counter the effects of sitting at the desk the less likely you will get regular pain and you will also be able to improve your posture.

There are many more stretches you can do to counter these effects. For more info please call on 02 9233 5769 or email at info@muscletherapyaustralia.com.au