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Want to know the best stretches for office workers? Sitting isn’t natural. Humans are made to run, jump and move around. This is why we have so many bones and joints allowing for a range of strength and flexibility. However, with our jobs and personal lives it is very common to spend more time sitting; leading to hunched shoulders, the head moving forward and a loss of the curve in the low back. As a chiropractor in Singapore, I understand the toll that long hours spent sitting at a desk can take on your body.
Read this article for the 3 BEST stretches (as recommended by many upper cervical chiropractic and health experts) you can do to counteract the effects of sitting to make your job easier!
Earlier this year I took a number of long haul flights for holidays and seminars in South and North America, before returning to Singapore. I used these stretches to make those flights more comfortable, and see them to be just as important for frequent travelers as for office workers. – Shaan
What’s the Problem With Sitting?
Before we dive into the stretches themselves, let’s take a moment to understand why stretching is crucial for office workers.
Sitting for long periods puts your body into an unhealthy curled up (flexed) position. In this posture your shoulders slump, head comes forward and the neck has a lot of strain. This results in shortening of the chest muscles (pectorals) and stretching of the shoulder muscles (upper trapezius) and neck muscles (levator scapulae).
Even if you manage to correct this by forcing yourself to sit up straight, your hips are still in a very flexed position, resulting in shortening of the muscles in the front of the legs (quads), shortening of the muscles in the back of the hips (piriformis) and stretching of you lower back muscles (quadratus lumburum). Read why Sitting is the New Smoking, here.
So, is the Problem the Shortened or Stretched Muscles?
The problem is the SHORTENED muscles, not the stretched muscles. Muscles work in antagonistic pairs, meaning they work in opposite directions to each other to give a range of movements.
Think of it like the pull and push movement for your office door; if it could only go in one direction it would either always be open or always closed (which would make daily activities very difficult!). The same is for the muscles, they must work together for different tasks.
However, when there is a change in your posture, such as due to sitting for long periods, the muscles are out of balance, resulting in one being shorter and the other getting stretched in response. The stretched muscle will FEEL more sore, because it is being stretched and over working because your body is instinctively trying to correct your posture back to normal.
Its a bit like a tug of war, the short muscle is the side winning because they have the advantage of a better posture, so the other side gets tired and painful more easily.
Therefore the problem is the short muscle, so logically our approach should be to stretch that muscle and restore balance in the body. It is common to do stretching or massage on the muscles that are painful, however this will not SOLVE the problem, just give temporary relief, like Panadol or aspirin.
Wait, but I Feel Pain in My Back and Hamstrings. Aren’t they the Problem?
The back muscles are being overly stretched in a sitting position and are reacting to prevent your posture getting worse. The muscles are a defense the body uses to prevent injury to more important structures, like the joints and nerves. This is why you may have muscles spasms for what appears to be ‘no reason’. It is the body responding and attempting to help you, preventing damage happening to more vital parts.
This is also why going for massage of the low back is NOT advisable in these cases. If the muscles are tensing up to protect the other structures then, logically, relaxing the muscles could CAUSE damage.
The hamstrings may be tight also, but it is usually due to the other muscles around them, such as the quads and piriformis. These muscles are often overlooked, focusing on the hamstrings instead for only short term results.
Which Stretches Are Best?
1. Pectorals – stretching the pecs will help to bring the shoulders back and down, take tension off the neck muscles and remove the pressure on the nerves that also pass to the arms and hands (which may be cause symptoms such as numbness or tingling).
Check out this video for a great pectoral stretch. Hold the position on each side for at least 2 minutes. Always consult your Chiropractor before starting this stretch to ensure it is safe for condition. Checkout our pricing here.
2. Quadriceps – stretching your quads will help to counteract the hours of shortening they receive while you are sitting. This muscle shortening leads to the hips rotating, affecting your low back muscles and your hamstrings!
Check out this video for a great quadriceps stretch. Hold the position on each side for at least 2 minutes. Always consult your Chiropractor before starting this stretch to ensure it is safe for condition.
3. Pirformis – this small muscle in the hip gets shortened while sitting or having your hips rotated outward. This leads to tension in the glutes, pulling on the muscles of the low back and symptoms into the legs and feet (such as pain, numbness or weakness).
(Tip: watch for people who have toes pointing outward instead of forward when they walk, their piriformis will be shortened too!)
Check out this video for a great piriformis stretch. Hold the position on each side for at least 2 minutes. Always consult your Chiropractor before starting this stretch to ensure it is safe for condition.
Give these stretches for office workers a try and do them on a regular basis, even if there are no symptoms such as pain. This can help to prevent problems and maintain better mobility as the years go on. You may have to continue for your career, but it doesn’t mean you have to suffer
The stretches for office workers are not a replacement for your Chiropractic and upper cervical care checkups, but can help improve the effects of sitting on the muscles. So, start implementing these stretches for office workers today and experience the positive impact they can have on your work and life. If you experience persistent pain or discomfort, consult with a chiropractor in Singapore for personalized advice and treatment.
Make sure to have your nervous system regularly checked by a Chiropractor to improve your health.
Since 2013, Upper Cervical Chiropractor, DC. Shaan Rai helped patients achieve greater health, relocating to Singapore in 2016 and founding Vitality Chiropractic Centres. He has an impressive track record in providing relief and solutions for people who experience nerve system problems, such as headaches, migraines, dizziness, vertigo or neurological conditions. Take your life back.
For a Complimentary, no-obligation call with the Chiropractor or to book a Consultation, call +65 8438 9550 or email help@vitalitychiropracticcentres.com to find out if we can help you at our Chiropractic Clinic in Singapore.
Written by
Shaan Rai (Chiropractic, Singapore)
Shaan (UK) is based in Singapore. He is a GCC registered Singapore Chiropractor, completing a 5 year course at AECC, attaining his Masters in Chiropractic. His career has been specialised in neurological cases, such as migraines and vertigo. He is the Chairman for Outreach and Charity for Alliance of Chiropractic (AoC) and is a founder of Vitality Chiropractic Singapore and the NeuroPro method, combining Upper Cervical techniques with Functional Neurology Rehab.
