{"id":156353,"date":"2020-08-07T02:00:04","date_gmt":"2020-08-07T09:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/?p=156353"},"modified":"2020-08-06T21:08:10","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T04:08:10","slug":"stretches-to-help-with-sitting-all-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fabfitfun.com\/magazine\/stretches-to-help-with-sitting-all-day\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Stretches to Relieve Your Body After Sitting All Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you ever noticed that your body feels tight, closed off, and generally <\/span>blah <\/span><\/i>after sitting for extended periods? Yeah, us too. The thing is, our bodies weren\u2019t made for this sitting-at-a-desk-all-day stuff; they were made for <\/span>motion<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>Good news, though! Even a little movement every day can counteract the negative effects of prolonged sitting — but there are a few things to consider.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contrary to popular belief, the “\u2018tight muscles” (which actually means <\/span>shortened <\/span>muscles) that cause that icky, bound up feeling don\u2019t just want you to stretch <\/span>statically<\/span><\/a> for fifteen minutes and call it good. It\u2019s also important to look at the <\/span>mobility of your joints<\/span><\/a> and the strength of various <\/span>antagonist muscles<\/span><\/a> to keep yourself in balance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Since almost every muscle in your body crosses at least one joint, <\/span>keeping your joints mobile<\/span><\/a> will naturally give you a greater range of motion (read: <\/span>flexibility<\/span>), resulting in a more relaxed state of being for muscles. What\u2019s more, for every muscle in the body, there\u2019s another muscle — or group of muscles — that keeps it in check. Those balancing muscles are called <\/span>antagonists<\/span>. <\/span><\/i>The muscles they act on are called <\/span>agonists<\/span>. <\/span><\/i>The antagonists present tension that acts as a counterweight to the agonist muscles. That symbiotic relationship results in alignment in the body, meaning less discomfort when you\u2019re bound to one or two positions for most of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, if you tend to hunch when you sit, your pectoralis (chest) muscles are being shortened, meaning they\u2019ll likely feel tight and uncomfortable when you get up after a long day. The pectoralis\u2019 antagonists are the muscles of the rotator cuff and deltoids (those are in your <\/span>shoulder<\/span><\/a>), which means <\/span>strengthening those muscles<\/span><\/a> will lead to a more balanced posture and happier chest muscles — naturally! This is true for literally any muscle in the body. In summary, you\u2019ll get the most bang for your <\/span>stretch <\/span>if you don\u2019t neglect the strength of opposing muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, you\u2019ve been working on your mobility and strength. Now, let\u2019s look at some stretches that will provide much-needed relief after a long day at the office (or home office).<\/span><\/p>\n