That peaceful moment when your coffee is brewing and your toast is browning is the perfect time to combat some of the work-from-home joint pain or stiffness that comes with swapping your office chair for a sectional.
Before clocking in from the couch, get ahead of your tight shoulders and back with some morning stretches.
No brainpower is required, as you obviously haven’t sipped your caffeine yet. Dani Singer, a NASM-certified personal trainer and CEO of Fit2Go, has the exact stretch sequence handled.
Just follow his step-by-step stretching instructions below.
Related: Try This 15-Minute Cardio Workout During Your WFH Lunch Break
Sit and Reach
When we’re sitting all day, our hamstrings are constantly in a contracted position, leading to a tight lower back and legs. Singer explained that this is what can make it feel difficult to bend down and pick things up.
- Sit on the floor with your left leg extended in front of you. Bend your right knee to the side and place your right foot against your left inner thigh.
- Take a deep breath in and then slowly let it out as you reach both hands toward your left toes and hold. If you can’t reach your toes, grab your shin instead.
- Hold this position for 10 full breaths, taking five seconds for each exhale.
Doorway Stretch
The first step in fixing your posture – which can be negatively impacted by hunching over your computer – is loosening your tight chest, Singer noted.
- Stand in a doorway and place your right arm on the frame beside you. Keep the elbow bent at 90 degrees.
- Lean into the stretch by stepping forward through the doorway with your arm staying in place on the door frame. You should feel a nice stretch across your chest, as the wall pulls your torso into an upright posture.
- Hold for 10 full breaths, taking five seconds for each exhale.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Related: Sit at Your Desk All Day? Loosen Up With an Assisted Stretch Session
Neck Release
According to Singer, our necks are constantly tight from hunching over our computers and phones, which can further lead to jaw pain and headaches. Relieve some of that tension with this simple stretch.
- Tilt your head toward your right shoulder.
- Rotate your neck to the left to look up toward the ceiling.
- Gently pull your head further toward your right shoulder using your right hand.
- While maintaining that gentle pull, rotate your neck to look down toward the floor.
- Do five rotations, looking at the ceiling and then the floor. Breathe deeply and slowly while you move.
- Release and repeat on the other side.
Seated Figure 4
Your butt muscles are meant to be used daily. Thanks to chairs, we limit our own range of motion, leading to a tight and weak rear end. Singer added that this is a common cause of hip, back, and knee pain.
- Sit in a chair with your right ankle crossed over your left knee.
- Slowly push your right knee down toward the floor with your right hand.
- Hold for 10 full breaths, taking five seconds for each exhale.
- Repeat on the other side.
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