Thursday’s Thoughts. Desk Stretches.

Here’s your weekly dose of MTS wellness. Please pass this along to a friend or family member. The Best gift we can share with someone is good health.

Desk Stretches – Episode 2 is the topic for today. Please add these exercises and stretches to your daily routine while stuck behind a desk for hours. The longer we sit, the more the muscles group in our neck, shoulders, and legs get stiff and show signs of pain and discomfort. The main culprit are the forward head, slouching, and poor lumbar extension.

When you try to stand after and extended period of sitting during work, it seems like you can’t strengthen up, and your legs are “killing” you. When you don’t move enough, your muscles start the early stages of atrophy. We all know the quote, ” Sitting is the new smoking.” The truth is the circulation is one of the best cures for diseases and physical isssues.

Flexibility and range of motion daily is a natural cure for many issues. Reduction of pain and injuries, prevent atrophy, and many others to name a few.

These will help you relieve pain and increase your energy levels. Add these daily; they should only take appox. 8 to 10 mins.

Here are 5 great exercises to help you daily:

Sitting exercises for the home office worker.

• Shoulder cross overs: By sitting up tall in your chair, extend your left arm forward and straight (parallel to the floor). Use your other hand, reach under your left elbow, and pull your left arm across your body. Make sure your left thumb is pointing to the ceiling. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then repeat the other arm. Perform this twice. Muscles affected: posterior shoulders, mid to upper back muscle.
• Sitting Hamstring Stretches: This exercise requires and additional chair or support. While sitting up tall on your chair, extend your right leg on the other chair or support. Extend your leg as much as you can. While sitting in that position, you should start feeling tightness in your hamstring and the back of your calf muscles. I want you to then lean forward from the hips and keeping your posture upright, not bending in the mid back region. Repeat to the other leg, hold for 30 seconds, and repeat twice per leg. Muscles affected: Hamstrings and claves. Lower back.
• Over Head Side Bends: This stretch is in my top 10 list. Well it’s time to stand up. While performing this movement, I want your stance within shoulder width. With your right hand, grab your left wrist and reach together directly overhead, then side bend to your right just using your mid back, while pushing your left hip out to the side. Your line of pull with your right and is directed towards 2 o’clock. Repeat twice with a hold for 30 to 40 second then switch. Muscle affected: Shoulders, side back, and obliques. Hips and lateral legs. Lower Back.
• Two-arm Protraction (diving into pool stretch): While sitting upright, extend both arms in front of you, palms facing each other and parallel to the desk. Extend both arms forward like you’re going to dive into a pool. I want your head to look down at your desk while you stretch forward. Hold this position for 30 seconds and repeat it two more times. Muscles affected: Mid to upper back, lateral posterior shoulders, and neck.
• Standing Modified Downward Dog: Perform while standing and using the back of your desk chair. Stand behind your chair and extend both over the top of the back rest while keeping your arms extended. Bend at the hips and lean towards the chair while your head goes through your arms. Keep your knees in the fully extended position. Hold this for 30 to 40 seconds and repeat twice. Muscles affected: Bilateral shoulders, mid back, low back, and hamstrings. The posterior neck will also feel this movement.

Below is a video for proper form:

https://youtu.be/0FeRW-351XI