Sitting all day can leave your back aching, your shoulders tense and your hips feeling stiff.
Unfortunately, if you have an office job or a long commute, it means a large part of your day has to be spent sitting, but there are a few simple things you can do to offset the negative effects.
Standing up regularly is one (it sounds simple, but it’s easy to forget); adding resistance training into your week can strengthen muscles that have been weakened by sitting for prolonged periods is another.
Simple stretches can also lengthen muscles that have shortened from resting in contracted positions for hours.
Dr Rockie Felder, a physical therapist, says the following three moves can help restore muscle flexibility. She recommends holding each stretch for at least 30 seconds and repeating the routine a few times a day.
As with any movement, doing it regularly will help you see improvements. “It takes consistency and time,” says Felder.
She’s also curated a movement program specifically designed for busy desk workers, available on her website.
1. Static lunge
Time: 30-60sec each side
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Step your right foot forward and keep your left leg straight.
- Gently press your hips forward, feeling a stretch at the front of your left thigh.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
“Hip flexors get very, very tight with sitting all day,” explains Felder.
Because they get tight, Felder says people tend to bend their torso forward in this pose, which actually negates the stretching benefits—so make sure you keep your chest upright.
Felder also says it’s important to keep your toes pointing forward to get the most out of the stretch and avoid weakening it.
2. Seated figure-four stretch
Time: 30-60sec each side
- Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring the ankle of your right foot up to rest on your left knee.
- Gently press down on your right knee with your hand.
- Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
This move stretches your glutes along with your piriformis, a small muscle that lies deep within your buttocks.
These are all muscles that can get tight from sitting, which can interfere with your pelvis alignment and contribute to all kinds of aches and pains, including sciatica.
3. Thoracic extension
Time: 30sec
- Sit in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
- Bring your hands behind your head, elbows pointing out to the sides.
- Lift your head to look up, extending your upper back.
Felder says that hunching forward all day can create tension in your neck, upper back and shoulders, which can lead to headaches.
This quick thoracic extension could help counteract that—and you don’t even need to leave your chair to do it.
Dr Rockie Felder is a physical therapist based in San Diego, California. A 2019 graduate of Thomas Jefferson University, she has a background in outpatient rehab and home health, and has completed clinical rotations at Walter Reed and University of Chicago Medicine. For the past three years, Felder has worked in her own concierge practice, bringing physical therapy directly to clients’ homes and offices. She also runs remote programs designed to help busy professionals feel better in their bodies.
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