If you spend a lot of time sitting in front of a screen, all that sitting can destroy your posture, which leads to all sorts of lousy outcomes from lower back pain to inhibited breathing (try breathing deeply while you're hunched over, as opposed to sitting with your back straight and shoulders back). The majority of people these days need stretches that will undo the tightness and tension that result from lots of sitting.
Here, you'll find five anywhere-anytime stretches you can do--maybe on a break from work--that will help to keep you from slumping into a permanently chair-shaped posture. As long as you're not injured, you almost can't do them enough. Hold each one for 30 seconds.
• Assume a lunging position with your right foot forward, your left knee on the floor, and both knees at a 90-degree angle. Extend your right arm overhead.
• Keeping your torso upright, your hips and shoulders square, and your left knee on the floor, step your right foot forward about 12 inches and push your hips forward and downward until you feel a deep stretch in the front of your left hip. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Bend your right arm 90 degrees (the "high-five" position) and place your forearm against a door frame. Stand in a staggered stance, your right foot in front of your left.
• Rotate your chest to your left until you feel a comfortable stretch in your chest and the front of your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Switch arms and legs and repeat for your other side. Repeat for a total of 3 reps on each side.
• Stand about 2 feet in front of a wall in a staggered stance, your right foot in front of your left. Place your hands on the wall and lean against it.
• Shift your weight to your back foot until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds on each side, then repeat twice for a total of 3 sets. Perform this routine daily, and up to 3 times a day if you're really tight.
• Lie on your back with your arms directly out to your sides, palms up, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the floor.
• While keeping your feet together, simultaneously lower your knees toward the left and roll your head toward the right. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Assume a lunging position with your left foot forward, your right knee on the floor, and both knees at a 90-degree angle. Extend your right arm overhead. Keeping your torso upright, your hips and shoulders square, and your right knee on the floor, step your left foot forward about 12 inches and push your hips forward and downward until you feel a deep stretch in the front of your right hip. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Place a gym mat next to a wall. Face away from the wall and assume a kneeling lunge position on the pad with your left knee down and your right foot flat on the floor in front of you. Slide backward toward the wall, pointing the toes of your left foot toward the ceiling. Keeping your left knee on the floor, inch your foot up the wall behind you until you feel a comfortable stretch in the front of the left thigh. Place both hands on your right knee and extend your back into an upright posture. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Original article and pictures take www.rodalewellness.com site
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