sit a lot? Even if you have perfect postureWell, that’s not good news for your body on multiple levels. For starters, sitting eight hours a day It has been shown to increase the risk of stroke, heart disease, and hypertension, to name a few. It’s more, studies show that prolonged sitting can lead to lower back pain, while other investigations indicates that you can tense your neck and shoulder muscles.
But if you have a desk job, sitting is par for the course. What you need (besides regular exercise) is a morning stretching routine that will solve problems and set you up to feel great. It is a simple commitment with great return. “You don’t need a huge amount of time, there are some easy stretches you can do in 10 minutes that will make a difference in how you feel for the rest of the day,” says Jayson Lee, a personal trainer in New York. City.
What could those be? Take a look at the ultimate morning stretch routine below, and promise to do these moves at least four times a week, and preferably every day. How long you hold each stretch depends in part on how your body feels. (“As a general rule, count slowly to 10, then release,” Lee says.) But don’t bounce or force stretch: Your muscles and ligaments are tight and stiff after a night’s sleep and you could risk injury.
stretching: push-ups
What stretches: pectoral muscles; deltoid
How: Lie on your stomach, bend your elbows and place your hands under your shoulders, palms flat against the floor. Press your hands into the ground and lift your chest off the ground, lifting your head and focusing your gaze on the ceiling. Go back down to the ground.
The Stretch: Chest Opener
What stretches: pectoral muscles; latissimus dorsi; biceps
How: Take a rope or towel rolled up at either end with your hands. Standing with your feet hip-width apart, stretch your arms above your head and pull the towel up with you. Bend your elbows and lower the towel behind your shoulder blades. Press your elbows back and your chest forward to feel the stretch in your chest and pectoral muscles.
The Stretch: Shoulder Stretch
What stretches: Deltoids, rhombus, trapezius, latissimus dorsi
How: Sit or stand. Bring your hands together in front of you, fingers interlaced. Rotate your wrists so your hands are away from your body. Press your palms toward the sky, stretching your arms above your head. Reach as high as you can toward the sky, allowing your shoulders to rise, then press your shoulders down. Bend your elbows and lower your hands together behind your head, palms cupping your head. Press your elbows back to gently stretch your chest, then bring your elbows together in front of your head to feel a stretch in your upper back.
The stretch: knees to chest
What stretches: Lower back
How: Lie on your back. Bend your knees and bring them closer to your chest. Hold the outside of each knee with one hand. Round your back, lift your head off the ground, and slowly rock back and forth for 60 seconds.
The Stretch: Lower Body Twist
What stretches: Erector spinae, external obliques, internal obliques, glutes
How: Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your arms at your sides. Lift your feet off the ground and bring your knees to your chest. Slowly lower your knees to the right, allowing your hips to follow. Rotate your torso and head to the left and hold. Bring your knees to center, then drop them to the left, turning your head to the right.
The stretch: cat cow
What stretches: spinal erector; splenius capitus and splenius cervicis (neck muscles)
How: To begin this popular yoga pose, get down on all fours. Inhale and raise your head toward the ceiling as you imagine your core being pushed toward the floor, creating an arch in your back. Exhale and lower your head to the ground, around your spine, imagining that a rope is pulling the center of your spine toward the ceiling. Relax and repeat.
The stretch: the head rolls
What stretches: levator scapulae; trapeze; splenius capitus and splenius cervicis (also known as the major muscles of the neck)
How: Stand or sit with your back straight and your head facing forward. Turn your head to the right, then use your chin to start a slow circular motion: lower your chin to your chest, then lift it to the left side, then up to the sky, then back to center. Opposite direction.
