Do you sit in a chair for too long each day, nearly every day?
Did you know the average Canadian sits for 10 hours a day? And that it probably feels like 107,459 hours by the time they hit the pillow each night?
Between endless desk work, lengthy commutes, a Netflix binge here and there… Sedentary sittin’ time adds up fast and takes its toll hard.
Not only are we all sitting for too long and too often, but we also tend to sit poorly — further subjecting our bodies to consistent, persistent head-to-toe body pain that could all be avoided.
Enter the perilous sins of sitting! They stack up… There might even be more than the seven other types we attempt to tiptoe around on the daily 😇
The first? Oh, the first…
Sitting with one leg crossed over the other
✔️ Sharp, searing pain through the knees
✔️ Uneven posture leading to sciatic and lower back aches
✔️ The odd tingle to the toes from cramped circulation
We could go on, but instead let’s alleviate the ache.
EASY RELIEF WHILE AT WORK
First things first, cross one leg fully up and over, placing your ankle on the other leg’s knee. You’ll want to gently ease the raised knee down to create a 90° angle.
Bonus! This works even better if you can get it under your desk to create resistance.
From there, be mindful you don’t slouch over, like Bryan on the right there. That’s bad. That’s wrong. That’ll hurt later, and not in a #nopainnogain sort of way.
Straightening the back, lean forward towards a gentle 45° angle.
You should feel a welcomed stretch underneath the raised leg 🙌
Hold for 10 – 15 seconds, and switch sides. Try to do this at least once an hour throughout the workday.
EASY RELIEF WHILE AT HOME
Do you have a foam roller at home yet? (If not, here’s a bestseller version via Amazon.)
Crossing one ankle over the opposite knee to create that same 90° angle as before, you’re going to sit slightly shifted and angled on the foam roller while supporting yourself with one hand. From here? Roll, baby, roll.
Gently and slowly rolling back and forth, you’ll want the pressure to work its magic right under your rear that’s suffered so much sitting abuse from the day. Give this 20 – 30 seconds on each side and repeat for the relief you need.
Strength is one of the most important factors to alleviate pain from sitting and promote quality posture all around.
Here, you’re going to lift yourself into a bridge. Laying flat on the floor with your knees bent and feet shoulder width apart, lift your hips off the floor while keeping your back straight and your stance strong. Figure your feet are pushing straight into the floor while you squeeze your glutes and hold for 10 seconds before lowering gently. Repeat 10 x 2 – 3 sets.
Try these at work and home and let us know if they bring you any relief! We love to help!
You can also find more helpful, handy exercises specifically designed to free you from the purgatory of posture pain in Bryan Smith’s book, The Sitting Solution: Why we hurt and what we can do about it — available at Catalyst SPT.
For more information on The Sitting Solution or any of our custom pain management and movement conditioning-based personal training services, contact us today!
