When you spend too much time sitting down, you inadvertently shorten
you hip flexors and compress your lower back, which in turn affect your
posture, biomechanics, digestion and energy. Needless to say, paying attention to how long you've been sitting throughout the day is incredibly important.
Luckily, there are simple steps you can take every day to help reduce the effects sitting has on your body.
1. Walk more.
Before you sit at your desk in the morning, start your day by moving.
Walking opens your hip flexors and gets the blood pumping through your
body. Walking is one of the most natural and wonderful things you can do
for your body, and most people aren't doing it enough.
So before you park your bottom down for the day, go for a 30 minute walk
or aim for 10,000 steps before you make it to your desk. If you can
walk to the office, that's great. If not, take an extra lap around the
block, climb the stairs or get off the train/bus a couple stops early to
get that morning walk in.
2. Stand every 90 minutes.
For every 90
minutes you spend sitting, get up and walk somewhere to get the blood
flowing again. Leave your lunch in the car so you have to walk to get
it, take the long way round to the water cooler or instead of emailing a
work colleague who's in the same building, walk over to their desk to
talk. The simple act of getting up every 90 minutes can help prevent the
negative effects that sitting can have on your body.
3. Do the couch stretch every day.
If you one do one stretch daily, it should be this one as it allows
your hips to unglue and really open up. The longer you sit, the stiffer
and more gritty your joints and ligaments become.
To do the
couch stretch, all you need is a wall (you can use a couch if you want,
but it's not necessary). Standing with your back to the wall, place one
bent knee on the ground, allowing your shin and foot to rest against the
wall, with the other foot planted firmly on the ground. Slowly raise
your torso up so you're standing straight and tall. Hold for a minimum
of two minutes, then switch sides. You should feel the stretch in your
hip flexor.
4. Do a Hindu squat.
Not only is
squatting amazing for your hips, it's also great for your ankles, knees
and digestive system. Believe it or not, your body is designed to be
able to hang out in a full Hindu squat position comfortably for long
periods of time. The only reason most of us can't is because we have sat
for long periods since a young age, shortening up our biomechanics that
allow us to squat naturally.
To do a Hindu squat, lower
down into a regular squat. Then, instead of stopping when your thighs
are parallel to the floor, continue down. Drop your butt to the floor
and let your fingers sweep the ground.
Take opportunities to
squat when you can. Pat your dog in a full squat, squat down and talk to
toddlers at their eye level or just squat after your morning walk
before you head into work. Over time, you'll really feel the difference.
5. Foam roll any tight spots.
Foam rolling helps remove any tight spots you may have in your muscles while improving blood flow and circulation. Start by foam rolling from your calves up to your hips.
Roll the front, back and sides of your legs and spend 5-10 minutes
doing this every day. Over time, notice how his makes your legs and
muscles feel.
The benefits of caring for your body daily go far
beyond just the physical aspects. When you sit for too long, your body
becomes stagnant. But when you move, stretch, stand and foam roll,
you're keeping your muscles, ligaments, joints and blood flowing. These
five actions allow your body to naturally detoxify, gain energy, improve
posture and ultimately make you feel great.
source:mindbodygreen