10 Stretches to Help You Sit Less and Move More!

Are you sitting too much?

Probably. Most of us tend to sit for more than six hours per day, whether it be work related or relaxing at home. According to research, sitting for more than 6 hours per day can increase your risk of musculoskeletal injury, heart disease, diabetes and gastrointestinal dysfunction. 

As a physical therapist, I often recommend regular movement to help counteract the effects of prolonged sitting on your muscles and joints. Research has shown that brief periods of standing or even a simple squat stretch can be beneficial to perform throughout the day. Doing as little as 5 minutes of movement an hour can help reduce the negative effects of prolonged sitting.

Here are a few stretches you can add to your daily routine to help sit less and move more!

*With all exercises be sure to only perform these movements within a comfortable range of motion, never push through pain.

1. Shoulder Circles

Stand up with feet shoulder width apart. Begin with a gentle shoulder shrug, bringing both shoulders up towards your ears. Slowly start to rotate shoulders back, try to imagine your shoulder blades moving closer together and chest expanding as your shoulders move back. Then bring your shoulders forward, think of this as chest caving in and rounding your upper back. Repeat this movement 5, then reverse the direction and repeat another 5 times.

2. Neck Rotations

Stand up with feet shoulder width apart. Rotate your neck left and right slowly, then up and down slowly as far as comfortable. Repeat 5-10 times. 

3. Overhead Reach with Deep Breathing

While standing take a few deep breaths, inhaling in through your nose and out through your mouth. As you inhale, raise your arms out to the sides and overhead, as you exhale lower your arms back to your sides. Repeat 5-10 times.

4. Standing Back Bend

Place your hands in the small of your back and gently bend your spine backward. Repeat 5-10 times. 

5. Standing Calf Stretch

Begin by standing in front of a wall in a staggered stance, one foot will be closer to the wall and the other leg will be behind. While holding on to a stable surface gently lean forward, bending your front knee. Make sure to keep your back knee straight and heel firmly planted on the ground.  Continue until you feel a stretch in your calf in the back leg. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 3 times on each leg.

6. Standing Quad Stretch

While standing (with support as needed), put your right foot on the chair seat behind you and bend the right knee to feel a pull in the front of the thigh. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 3 times on each leg.

7. Seated Piriformis Stretch

Start sitting in a chair. Begin stretch by crossing your leg with the ankle of one foot on the knee of the other. Next, pull the top knee upward towards your opposite shoulder for a stretch. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 3 times on each leg.

8. Seated Back Extension

Sitting in a chair, cross your arms across your chest. Lean back over the back of the chair allowing shoulders to extend back as far as permits. Repeat up to 10 times moving further into the motion each time.

9. Seated Knee to Chest Stretch

Sitting in a chair, gently bring one knee to your chest, and hold.Hold for 15 seconds and repeat 3 times on each leg.

10. Squat

Standing, squat to a comfortable point. Hold for one count and rise back to standing. Repeat 15 times. 

Incorporating these simple yet effective stretches into your routine can have a positive impact on your tight muscles, mobility, and overall well-being. Remember to perform all stretches within a comfortable range of motion and not force the movement or push through pain!