Stiff From Sitting All Day? 5 Quick Stretches To Counteract Its Effects

Sitting for more than six hours a day can cause, and stiffness in the body, leading to several other problems. Here are five stretches shared by Yasmin Karachiwala on her IG account to help you get rid of the problem.

Written By: Arushi Bidhuri | Updated : August 23, 2021 11:30 AM IST

Nothing beats sitting down after standing in the metro or the bus to reach the office. But now that has changed! Most of the commute consists of crawling out of bed, making coffee in the kitchen, and sitting on your desk at home all day long. One thing that this lazy lifestyle and sitting does is lead to a restless feeling in your body that just won't go away. This is what we refer to as stiffness in the neck and back. It is crucial that you get rid of the stiffness and looks like celebrity fitness trainer Yasmin Karachiwala along with her physiotherapist has a solution.

Taking to her Instagram page recently, Bollywood's favourite Pilates instructor, Yasmin Karachiwala is seen doing a range of exercises to relieve the tension that one might suffer after sitting for too long. In the caption, Karachiwala wrote, "ARE YOU STIFF FROM SITTING ON YOUR DESK ALL DAY??? Try these simple stretches you can do at your desk by my face physiotherapist @hemakshibasu who shares her quick fix for the neck, shoulder, chest, back, spine and ankles. They are very easy to follow and super effective if followed regularly."

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A post shared by Yasmin Karachiwala | Fitness (@yasminkarachiwala)

Stretches To Do Every Day

Here are the exercises Yasmin advised to do and even shared videos to guide followers into doing them properly:

Neck Glides

Start with placing your fingers on the chin
Now, look diagonally down
Stretch behind and feel it relax
Do 5-10 reps of this exercise, every two hours

Shoulder & Chest Stretch

Move your elbows behind and feel the stretch
Squeeze your shoulder blades together and feel the stretch
Hold for a few seconds and relax
3-5 reps every two hours might relieve the tension from your shoulders and chest

Arm Opener For Thoracic Spine

Open up the arms with 3-5 reps on each side of this stretch
Stand straight with your arms stretched out and joined in front of you
Extend your left arm to the back and bring it back to the initial position
Repeat on the other side
Remember to keep the pelvis as stable as possible

A Full Spine Stretch

Let's stretch the spine by doing 3-5 reps of this exercise every two hours.
Place your hands on the table and stretch your back behind, keeping your knees soft
Feel the stretch in the back and repeat

Ankle Stretches for Ankle Mobility

Begin with turning your ankles around slowly in circles to the left, then the right
Do 5-10 reps of this stretch, every two hours.
Don't need to rush the movement and focus only on your foot when you do this

Why You Should Get Rid Of Stiffness?

Studies have shown that sitting for long hours can have short as well as long-term effects on your health. Sitting shortens your hip flexors, and sitting can also damage your back, especially if you have terrible posture or don't utilize an ergonomic chair. Furthermore, improper sitting posture can cause compression of the discs in your spine, resulting in early degeneration and persistent discomfort.

To avoid these problems, you can do these simple stretches regularly. It will help open up the muscles and counteract the harmful effects of sitting for long periods.

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