Nov 1

Nov 1 10 simple stretches to do at your desk

We all know we spend too much time sitting down. And if you do a predominantly sedentary job like mine, the tightening, stiffening effects on your muscles are even more exacerbated (not to mention the potential damage you can do to your health by remaining seated for long stretches, which include, but happily aren’t confined to, increasing your risk of early death).

So before I even start to share these simple stretches that will help keep your muscles from seizing up and/or giving you grief, the most important thing, if you’re sitting for extended periods, is not to. Sit that is. Experts recommend you take a break and move around for up to five minutes every 30-45 minutes. There’s another whole blog in the sort of activities you can do whilst taking these breaks (I’ll put that one together another time), but stretching, either sitting, as I’m demonstrating in the pics just because it made them easier to take, or, better still, standing, has lots of benefits too. Like reducing neck, back and shoulder pain, increasing productivity, and giving your screen-sore eyes time to rest.

Simple stretch for your neck

Whether you’re looking down at a laptop or, ideally, straight ahead at a screen (which I do, although you can’t see it in this shot) tension in your neck can cause headaches and lead to tension in your upper back. Try looking up at the ceiling, so your nose is pointing directly up at it. Hold that for a few seconds then imagine your eyes are two pencils and draw a figure of eight with them. Repeat several times. Then look straight ahead, with your shoulders down, and turn your head slowly from left to right several times.

Simple stretch for your shoulders

Tension in your shoulders can see them creeping towards your ear lobes. To keep them relaxed raise both arms above your head and linking your hands, reach as high as possible. Hold for about 5 seconds and feel your shoulders stretching. Then gently bend to the right and then the left, holding on each side to increase the stretch down your sides. Shrugging your shoulders up and then letting them drop down is also a great tension reliever.

Simple stretch for your chest

Tight chest muscles caused by sitting in one position for too long can affect posture and lead to a painful lower back. Sit or stand with your hands behind your head and your fingers interlaced. Stretch by trying to pull your shoulder blades together for a count of ten. Relax and repeat three times.

Simple stretch for your upper back

This will stretch all the muscles between the shoulder blades as well as the shoulders themselves. You can do it seated or standing. Stretch your arms straight out in front of you. Cross your hands and press them together. Contract your abs and round your back reaching away with your arms as you relax your head down (imagine curving over a big ball). Hold for 10-20 seconds. Repeat if you feel you need to.

Simple stretch for your lower back

My lower back is one of the places that gets tightest if I’ve been sitting still too long. This is a quick way to relax any tension that builds up there. Sitting straight with your feet together, put the palms of your hands into the small of your back. Lean back over your hands and you’ll feel your lower back stretch out. Repeat three to five times.

Another simple stretch for the lower back

This is another super effective stretch I like to do for my lower back. Just go as far as feels comfortable. Start sitting with your feet flat on the floor. Contract your abs and gently rotate to one side using the back of your chair to deepen the stretch. Only go as far as you can whilst keeping your back straight and your hips square. Hold for 10-20 seconds then do the other side. Repeat on each side a few times.

Simple stretch for your forearms and wrists

Your arms and wrists tend to get neglected when it comes to stretching, but they’re just as prone to tightness as the rest of you. This is a great way of giving them some stretching tlc. Stretch out one arm then turn your hand up and point the fingers down. To increase the stretch, pull on your fingers with the other hand. Hold for up to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other arm. You can also stretch out the wrist and arm the other way

by extending your arm out with your palm facing down, then pulling the fingers up with your other hand.

Simple stretch for your hips

Of course your lower body also gets tight from sitting for too long, and I feel that especially in my hips, which are stiff at the best of times. I find this stretch pretty horrible to do, but worth it because it’s so effective for stretching all the interconnected muscles in the hips and glutes. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and sit up tall (facing forward - I’m just turning my head for photo purposes. Gently lean forward keeping your back straight until you feel a stretch in your hip and glute (which isn’t very far for me!) If you are bendier you can also press down on your right knee to deepen the stretch (show off). Hold for 10-30 seconds and do the same on the other side. Repeat 5-10 times each side.

Simple stretch for your feet

No pic for this one cos it really isn’t very photogenic. But your feet, and your calves will thank you for it. With your legs hip width apart and your feet flat on the ground, lift up onto your tip toes, hold for 10 seconds and then release. Repeat up to 10 times.

There’s no need to do all of these - though do feel free to. But any combination that targets the spots where you feel tightest at any given time, will help loosen your muscles, improve your circulation and maintain your flexibility. And try to aim for that magic few minutes of movement every 30-45 minutes. Your body will thank you for it.