Do you get hip pain when sitting? How tight do your shoulders feel? It’s common to get sore muscles and stiff joints after sitting. However, it is not ideal! It is always important to get out of your chair regularly and have your workstation set up correctly. You might also want to check out this simple tip to help correct posture. Aside from this, some simple stretches can help you feel better.
Today I’m going to show you a few simple chair-based exercises in the form of stretches. You can conveniently do these without moving far from your desk. These can also be useful for you if you haven’t started a fitness regime yet, or perhaps have been out of one for a while. If you’re ready to focus ahead but it feels overwhelming, why not start with something like this, which doesn’t require much planning or preparation.
A few points to note about stretching:
- Stretch until you feel mild discomfort, but NO PAIN.
- Breathe continuously. If you find you are holding your breath, it likely means you need to ease off the stretch a bit. You can use your breath to assist the stretch (and to calm your busy mind at the same time!) by breathing out as you ease into the stretch and then maintaining a normal breathing pattern as you hold it. To learn more about breathing, check out this blog.
- Hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds.
The two best stretches if you get hip pain when sitting
Quad Stretch
This is one of the best stretches if you get hip pain when sitting. It is great for stretching out the muscles on the front of the leg that are being shortened while you are sitting. It can also help with lower back pain. Stand up; place one hand on your chair gently for balance. Bend the knee of your other leg and take hold of your foot behind you. Keep knees together and gently draw the hip forward to enhance the stretch.
Buttock Stretch
This is the second essential stretch if you get hip pain when sitting. It will stretch out tight buttock muscles and can also help ease lower back pain.
Sit on the edge of your chair. Cross one foot onto the opposite leg, just above the knee. Keep your spine straight and place one hand on your foot, and the other on your knee. Try to keep your hips square by keeping both butt cheeks planted on the chair.
Gently apply downward pressure to the knee and upward pressure to the foot of the leg that is crossed. This should enable you to feel the stretch in the buttocks more effectively. You can also lean forward at the hips to feel the stretch more. Stop or ease off if you feel pain in the knee joint.
The best stretches if you get shoulder or neck pain from poor posture
Chest Stretch
This is a great one to counter the forward slouching habit that many of us revert to while deep in concentration. It can also be helpful if you have tight shoulders due to poor posture. Sit up tall, clasp your hands behind your back, and draw your shoulders back and down.
Neck Stretches
Sit up straight with your shoulders back. Turn your head to one side and hold. Then slowly take your ear down towards your shoulder while keeping your shoulders down.
Chin Tuck
To do the opposite of the ‘head poke’ position many of us find ourselves in when looking at a screen, keep the shoulders back and tuck the chin in and slightly down to lengthen the back of the neck.
A Bonus Stretch to help with lower back pain
Basic Twist
This is an essential movement for a healthy spine. It can help with lower back pain if done carefully. Sit up tall; gently twist to one side, taking the opposite hand to the outside of the leg to add a little resistance.
Remember that some movement is better than no movement. These stretches are great if you sit at a desk for long periods. Or, use them as a starting point if you’re not exercising for some reason or another. They can be a first step to doing SOMETHING.
If you enjoyed this article, you’ll probably want to check out my complete guide to using exercise resistance bands. It even includes two full resistance band workouts!
You may also be interested in these healing modalities for chronic pain relief.
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