Make use of your resources
by Andy Nelson for www.getfitnyc.com
Not everyone has access to a gym. However, most everyone does have access to their own arms, legs, feet and hands. That is all you need. Sure you may be able to look like Adonis more quickly if you have a gym, personal trainer, chef and nutritionist, and Adonis' genetics, but most of us do not have all of these. Yoga incorporates all muscles necessary to sit in good posture for long periods of time and requires absolutely NO equipment at all, other than a mat.
Have you tried to sit in good posture (on the sitting bones, shoulders back, head erect, legs relaxed) without squirming. It is challenging. The back begins to ache, the shoulders get tired, the mid-section and hips begin to complain. Because many of us sit at desks for hours on end, the body adapts to be efficient in that position. When we attempt to access control of our limbs in a more active position, like standing or walking, the body rebels.
Most studies done on testing flexibility use the "sit and reach test" for hamstring flexibility. This is a relative test and easy to duplicate but is not a good indicator of hamstring flexibility. Most yoga poses address the "tightness" we feel when we sit for too long.The muscles of the mid and lower back are strained when we sit with our knees bent and our shoulders hunched. The front of the body gets shorter and the back of the body gets longer, making both less able to support us in standing or active positions. By strengthening the muscles of the back side of the body we can help to stretch the muscles of the front side of the body. Strengthen your lower back, and your stomach will get tighter. Strengthen your upper back and your chest and shoulders may become more flexible. Strengthen the butt muscles and the hips are more free.
Let's take a look at what we need to do to reverse the effects of inactivity and sitting for extended periods of time:
1. Strengthen the muscles that hold us in good posture. The belly, low back, and middle back.
2. Stretch the muscles that get tight when we are in front of a computer screen: chest, front of the shoulder, and front of the hip.
3. Sit in good posture as often as you remember. When you are working sometimes you forget to sit upright. Just make a conscious effort when you think about it. Set an alarm to remind yourself to check your posture.
4. Don't sit for too long. Stand up every hour or so for 5 minutes. If you skip an hour make it 10 the next.
5. Move as often as you can. When you can stand and keep your job, do it.
6. Set up your work station to encourage movement. If your company allows it (and will pay for it) get a treadmill workstation, they are somewhat expensive, but so are hip, heart, and back surgery.
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