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Exercises You Can Do While Sitting in a Chair Copyright 2001 by Rachel Keller
A
stretching break can make a big difference in your productivity, your ability
to handle stress, and your overall well-being. It reduces muscular fatigue,
tension, pain, and degenerative joint or disc problems and energizes parts of
your body that have become stiff.
Too
many of us spend too much time sitting, either in work-related jobs, computer
time, or relaxation in front of the television. If you sit in front of a
computer for a long time, your neck and shoulder may get stiff, and you may
even suffer occasional lower back pain.
You
will feel so much better if you can get up every hour or so and walk around or
stretch for a couple minutesA stretching break can make a big difference in
your productivity, your ability to handle stress, and your overall well-being.
It reduces muscular fatigue, tension, pain, and degenerative joint or disc
problems and energizes parts of your body that have become stiff.
But
what happens if you can't get up? While gently massaging those muscles may
help, you can also do certain exercises to aid in flexibility and strength
training.
These
exercises you can do while sitting. (I have even done a few of these exercises
in a meeting, and no one has ever known.) When doing these stretches, keep in
mind these few suggestions:
Never
force a stretch.
Do
these stretches slowly and carefully.
You
may feel some tension. This is normal, but you should not experience pain.
Hold
only a stretch that feels good.
Exercises
for the Lower Body
While
seated, slowly point your toes forward away from your body until you feel a
slight tension. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
While
resting your heel on the floor, pull your feet and toes back toward your body.
Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Slowly
rotate your feet clockwise several times and then counterclockwise.
You
can trace the alphabet and numbers with your feet.
Extend
your leg and rest your foot on a towel. While you pull on the towel, push with
your foot. (This one feels really good!)
This
one is good for strengthening your leg muscles. Extend your leg out in front
of you and hold for about 20 to 30 seconds. Lower your leg sooner if it starts
to quiver. As your leg gets stronger, you can add ankle weights if you are
interested in strengthening your leg muscles even more. You can do one leg at
a time or hold both up together.
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