HOW TO STAY MOBILE AT HOME
There is increasing evidence that sitting down too much can be a risk to your health. It is suggested that “sitting is the new smoking” as research has shown that it has major implications on your blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, spine and more. However, what are the physical implications? And what can we do about it?
We as humans are built to stand upright, and so if we sit all day, our muscle groups will change their way of working. We become more anterior dominant and therefore we overuse our muscles in the front of our bodies; such as our quadriceps, hip flexors, pectorals, and the front of our necks. So when we try to do any form of exercise, our bodies may become misaligned due to the muscles that have become more dominant. So big major muscles like our glutes will switch off and our back will be less active. This will lead to huge compensation patterns throughout the rest of our body, and could cause excess pressure on our knees, feet and spine.
This becomes particularly evident when we decide to take up sports such as running and suffer problems like plantar fasciitis (pain in the sole of our feet) or lower back pain, leading to premature degeneration. As it is believed, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” - so it is worth trying a few exercises and tips daily that are listed below!
IMPORTANT: Do not work or stretch into pain. You must seek advice from your therapist if you have an underlying health condition before trying any of the below suggested exercises.
ACTIVE HIP FLEXOR STRETCH
To complete a few times a day - at least 30 reps each side or as much as it is comfortable.
This also could be done on a chair. This is great to actively lengthen the hip flexor that is often shortened, if sitting all day and therefore pulls on the spine as you begin to stand up and walk.
FOAM ROLL YOUR LATS
Try to foam roll for at least 2 minutes on each segment at least twice a day.
Foam rolling your latissimus dorsi (lats) and upper back often helps any lower back tightness and restrictions. This is because of the attachment of the lats to the lower spine and upper arm. If the upper back is restricted because of lack of movement within your body, this can place so much pressure in the lower spine; within the joints above and below.
NO FOAM ROLLER?
If you don’t have a foam roller, then you can try self-massaging the lats using your thumbs. Try this for a couple of minutes each side, 2 or 3 times a day.
USE A TENNIS OR SPIKEY BALL
Do this for about a minute on each area of the upper back that you find is tight, 2 or 3 times a day.
Using a tennis or spikey ball on those tight, niggley spots can also help if you don’t have a foam roller.
SHOULDER ACTIVATION
3 x 10 each side - rest 45secs in between each set - twice a day
Posterior capsule activation using a theraband is great for activating the back of the shoulders. If we sit and work on the computer all day, these muscles tend to switch off as our anterior chest muscles will dominate and therefore create a non-optimal pull on our arms and upper back.
GLUTE ACTIVATION
3 sets of 10 each side, twice a day.
For glute activation - you can use a roll of kitchen towel, which can work as an excellent way of getting this big muscle to switch on and stop the hips from rolling in. These are a great adjunct to what you may have been prescribed by a Personal Trainer or Physical Therapist already. So give it a try or ask your physical therapist for their advice.
Stay at home, but stay mobile!
Josie Mitchell
Find out more about Josie and London Sports Therapy based at The Hogarth Clinic: