Brian Jeffrey
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeiNjOa7Xok]
After two months of working (and doing pretty much everything else) from home, my list of grievances about aches and pains in my body is longer than ever. My hips are tight, my knees have developed a cringe-inducing creaking habit, and my posture has reached Hunchback of Notre Dame-levels. If you’re in the same boat, not to worry: East River Pilates’ Floss Brolsma has got us covered.
She’s put together a 20-minute stretch routine meant to undo all of the WFH-induced tension that we’re all currently dealing with. The yoga-inspired series targets every muscle from the top of your head down to your feet, including the ones that get hit the hardest after long hours of sitting, like your hips, hamstrings and lower back. You’ll start on your feet with moves like standing side stretches, rag dolls, and low lunge, then hit the mat to do some twists and chest openers.
While regular stretching is critical to stave off any sitting-induced discomfort, it’s also important to do what you can to avoid it altogether. According to pros, when you sit in any one position for too long, you’re putting increased stress on the tissues around the area, which is why it starts to hurt. And if you’re putting stress in that same spot for days on end, well, you could wind up with a pretty painful problem. To remedy the sitch, be sure you’re switching up the way you’re sitting every 20 minutes or so.
Even if you have mastered the art of the pain-free WFH setup (in which case, I am jealous), we can all benefit from a little stretching at the end of a long day. So go ahead and press play on the video above to try out Brolsma’s routine for yourself, and take it from someone who knows: By the end of 20 minutes, any sitting-induced aches and pains in that bod will be nothing more than a memory.
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Written by: WellGood
