How much time have you spent sitting this week? best laptop, lounging on the couch or driving are the default positions. However, sitting too much can have undesirable effects on your body.
“Physiologically, there are many reasons why our joints and muscles become stiff and painful when we sit for long periods of time,” says Pilates instructor. shape pilates Founder Gemma Falkcard. “One of the main reasons for the pain, he says, is the actual posture when sitting.
“When you stay in a shortened position for long periods of time, your hip flexors and the muscles in the front of your neck become stiff, which can throw your body off balance. Meanwhile, the muscles that stabilize your spine, such as your abdominals and glutes, can become weak due to lack of use. There is a sex.”
Fortunately, one of the easiest ways to combat this is free. Simply move. (Home) To relieve stiff joints and sore muscles after a long day at the office, Folkard shared his 5-move routine that can be done in just 10 minutes.
How to do Gemma Faulkard’s Pilates routine to relieve stiffness in your neck, lower back and spine
- Stretch your back forward x5
- Spinal twist x 5 times each
- Shoulder bridge x 6-8
- Lateral stretch x 4-6 times on each side
- Extensions with Pilates ball – 60 seconds
Perform the above exercises in order. Complete all prescribed repetitions of each movement before moving on to the next movement. If possible, try to provide smooth transitions between exercises. To help you get the most out of each move, keep an eye out for Folkard’s tips on proper form below.
1. Stretch your spine forward
repetition: Five
- Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you.
- Sit tall with the soles of your feet together, knees down to your sides and hips apart. This is the starting position.
- Bring your hands behind your head and bend (bend) them forward, pulling your ribs back and shifting the weight of your hands and elbows onto the back of your head.
- You should feel a stretch in the back of your neck and spine. It can even reach the lower back or calves, Folkard said.
- Slowly raise your head, open your elbows to your sides, and push your chest forward. She repeats this sequence five times.
2. Twisting of the spine
repetition: 5 on each side
- Once you have completed the last forward spine stretch, continue to sit upright with your hands behind your head and elbows extended to your sides.
- Slowly rotate to the left, then to the right, making sure to rotate from the bottom of your ribs. Tighten your abdominal muscles, avoid leaning forward, and stay as upright as possible. This will open up the middle of your back.
- Perform this movement 5 times on each side.
3. Shoulder bridge
repetition: 6-8
- Extend your legs in front of you, bend your knees and place your feet flat on the mat, about hip-width apart. Make sure your shins are vertical.
- Place your arms flat on the mat on either side of your body, palms down for support.
- Bend your tailbone down to lift your hips and strengthen your lower back.
- Keeping your ribs tucked in, push through your legs and use your glutes and hamstrings (the muscles in your back and back of your thighs) to push your hips upward until your thighs and torso form a straight line.
- Slowly lower your hips to the ground and repeat 6 to 8 times.
- This movement “opens up the anterior body, including the shortened hip flexors, and awakens the potentially dormant posterior body,” Folkard says.
4. Lateral stretch
repetition: 4-6 on each side
- Sit upright with your knees in a zigzag position. To do this, bring your left thigh directly in front of your body, making a right angle at the knee so that your lower left shin is across your body. Bring your right thigh out to the side, forming a right angle at the knee so that your right shin extends back.
- Place your left hand on the left side of your mat to support your body, then extend your right hand over your head and lean to the left.
- Keeping your feet in the same position, slowly return to the center. He repeats this sequence four to six times, then switches legs and repeats on the other side.
5. Extensions using a Pilates ball
repetition: 60 seconds
- “One thing you can buy to avoid slouching is a Pilates ball,” says Folkard. Place it on a mat and lie face up on it, in the middle of your upper back, just below your shoulder blades (or wherever is comfortable for you).
- Arch your upper back over the ball. If this stretch feels too intense, reduce the amount of air in the ball or place a pillow under your head.
- Separate your feet the distance on the mat and slowly bring your knees together.
- Use your breath to gently encourage your chest to open and relax.
How does movement combat the effects of too much sitting?
When we think of brain power, we think of people solving complex mathematical equations and making scientific advances. But Folkard points out that, according to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Roger Sperry, “90% of the stimulation and nutrition to the brain is generated by spinal movement.”
“So it’s no surprise that we feel physically and mentally drained after a day at our desks,” Folkard says. “Stationary posture also reduces blood flow, causing a lack of blood flow. [supply of the] Your muscles need oxygen and nutrients to be at their best. ”
The obvious solution to this is to move your body, and you don’t need to do an intense HIIT class or an exhausting run to reap the benefits.
The body moves in three planes of motion: the sagittal plane (upward, downward, forward, backward), the coronal plane (side-to-side movements), and the transverse plane (rotational movements). Folkard says that to keep her body functioning smoothly, she needs to move her body on all three planes throughout the day, and her routine covers all the bases.
“Traveling on a different plane every day may sound like a lot of work, but it’s not!” she says. “Whether it’s this routine or basic movements like picking things up from the floor, walking, turning, all these natural movements that are lost from your day when you’re sitting at a desk.”
A sedentary lifestyle is also associated with other negative health effects.of whoThe World Health Organization (WHO) 2020 guidelines on sedentary behavior state: “In adults, increased sedentary behavior has a negative impact on all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease incidence. cancer.”
However, you can counter this by increasing your activity level. WHO guidelines state that “some physical activity is better than none at all” and that “many of the benefits of physical activity” include 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week and 150 to 300 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity per week. It is said to be obtained by doing this for 75 to 150 minutes. Activities per week, or two equivalent cocktails.
On the other hand, research published in journals British Journal of Sports Medicine In 2023, a 13-year study of 11,989 participants aged 50 and older found that “sedentary time is associated with a higher risk of death, but it is associated with higher mortality risk than moderate to vigorous physical activity per day.” “This is limited to those who have accumulated less than 22 minutes of (MVPA).” .
“We found that higher MVPA levels were associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of the amount of time spent sedentary,” it added.
