Your body needs movement and stretching after sitting at your desk for hours on end. Helsinkian Personal Trainer, Yoga Coach, and Massage Therapist Jude Pabines showed us seven stretches that promote spine health and loosen tight hips caused by lengthy sitting. Incorporate these stretches to your weekly routine and your body will thank you.
1. SWING, SWING
Warm up the body before the stretches to increase the heart rate. This move rotates the spine from the tailbone to the top of the head.
How to do it:
- Stand on your feet hips distance, while keeping your core and glutes engaged.
- Twist your pelvis toward the back, and your head will follow naturally as it is connected to the spine. Then twist to the other direction.
- Start slow. Once you feel relaxed, your body will pick up the pace.
Tips: Do this for one minute. Personal Trainer Jude says it is okay to feel a bit disoriented if your body rarely performs this movement in the day-to-day lives.
2. REACH THE SKY
How to do it:
- Start by raising one arm to the ceiling, reach as high as you can.
- With the other hand on your hip, give it a push and squeeze your glutes while pushing your chest and shoulder up.
- Pause for 5 seconds then change sides. Repeat 8 times.
3. DOWN AND UP
How to do it:
- Roll downwards by bending your knees and pushing the hips back with your chin tucked.
- Reach the toes as far as you can.
- Stay there for 5 seconds and feel a stretch on your lower back and hamstrings.
- Then gently roll up and put your hands on your lower back.
- Pull your chest up and open your shoulders. Engage your glutes and abdomen.
- Gently roll back down and repeat for up to 8 reps.
4. CAT-COW POSE
Now you need a mat or rug to soften the floor.
How to do it:
- Start on your fours in the table top position. Round your back and crunch your belly up, pull pelvis forward and tuck chin.
- Then bend your back while looking up and opening the shoulders and hips.
This is a perfect mobility movement for the neck, back, hips, abs and shoulders. Awesome, right? Let’s keep going!
5. THE GROIN STRETCH
It’s time to stretch the inner thighs! Being in an extended seated position daily keeps the deeper hip muscles stuck. This move effectively opens up the inner thigh muscles and improves your mobility.
How to do it:
- Begin with the table top position as before, and extend one leg to the side.
- Make sure your extended ankle, knees, and hip are forming a straight line.
- Keep your extended foot firmly to the floor. Do the stretch by gently pushing your hip far back.
6. FOOTBALLER YOGI
This versatile hip flexor stretch is popular among footballers! This move not only stretches the hips, but also the ankle and calves. Tight hip flexors limit our motion, exacerbated by prolonged sitting. Soccer players need strong hip flexors to strike controllably and powerfully.
How to do it:
- To start, from the table top position, put one foot forward and rest the other foot behind you.
- Make sure your knee and ankle are aligned.
- Support your hands on the forward knee.
- Maintain the gaze forward throughout this move.
- Then slowly push the hip forward and balance your weight evenly throughout your whole front foot. Stay in this position for 5 seconds then return to starting position. Alternate sides.
7. AN INVIGORATING TWIST
How to do it:
- With the same starting position as the Footballer Yogi, put your hands to the inner side of your front leg.
- Then raise one arm up at a time as high as possible while looking up. Change sides.
This is a dynamic movement improving back strength and movement of the spine.
In addition to stretching regularly, strengthening the back, neck, and core muscles will correct your posture and protect spine health.
Jude Pabines also shared three easy bodyweight exercises that strengthens the spine-supporting muscles.
You can read them in Finnish in the Elo magazine.
Text and photos by Nadira Kusaeni
