With many people working sedentary jobs and spending long periods of time in a seated position, some of the major issues resulting from that are bad posture and body alignment. For a lot of people this can be a cause for concern as it can also cause other physical issues, such as lower back pain.
Spending too long sitting down, especially if not sat upright to begin with, can cause all sorts of spinal and muscular issues that if not corrected, can eventually require specialist help. These long periods of time seated should be broken up into smaller periods with regular standing and walking. Apart from that, regular exercise that involves a decent amount of stretching should help minimise the impact.
Here are a few exercises that can be included in your stretching and, if possible, can also be done daily at home to help correct any imbalances as well as improve posture and help realign your body.
WALL ANGELS
Start standing with your feet wide and your head and back flat against a wall. Bring your arms out to your sides at shoulder height and bend your elbows 90 degrees, keeping your shoulders, arms, and the backs of your palms lightly touching the wall. Slowly raise your arms overhead, extending arms into a wide 'V,' staying in contact with the wall. Bend your elbows and slide arms back to the starting position. Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps.
REVERSE PLANK
Start by sitting on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Put your hands on the ground palms down just behind and outside your hips. Then push up and lift your body until it forms a straight line from head to toe. Keep your arms and legs straight and brace your abs. Hold the position for 30 seconds and do 2-3 sets.
SUPERMAN
Lie on an exercise mat on your stomach. Bring your legs together and extend your arms overhead so your biceps are alongside your ears. Using the muscles of your back with a little help from your glutes, raise your legs and torso off the ground. Keep your legs straight and reach your fingertips away from you. Hold at the top of the exercise for five seconds. Lower back down to the ground with control. Repeat for a total of 10 reps and do 2-3 sets.
