How often do you typically sit on average per day of the week? Would you say 6-8 hours more or less? If so, then there is something you need to know.

In 2017, a study was performed across about 450 Iranian workers on the effects of prolonged sitting in their work desk. They used a Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) to depict their symptoms. Also, they had averaged around 6+ hours of sitting within an 8-hour work day and the results were not surprising.

By the end of it, the study showed that almost 50% of those workers felt uncomfortable working at their desk and almost 75% were fatigued throughout their shift. Additionally, the neck, low back, and shoulders were the most common problem areas based on the NMQ. Just as an overall result of this study, these workers felt more tired, were dissatisfied with their job, and had major issues throughout their body.

I would most likely assume that you may fall under this type of environment or closely similar to it. However, there are ways to counteract on these effects.

MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE

Mobility is Key

When including mobility in our workouts, you're allowing your body to move as how it should via loosening up your musculature, fascia, & joints. I like to incorporate many mobility/dynamic stretches before and sometimes even after my workouts.

Here are several mobility stretches that may benefit you if you are a person that sits more throughout the day:

Cat Cow Stretch; helps with protraction & retraction of the shoulder blades and promotes Thoracic spinal movement
Thread the Needle; another way to supplement T-spine mobility contributing towards rotational movement
Wipers; addresses the lower trunk with rotational movement and stretches the QL muscles when switching from one side to the other
Weighted Adductor Stretch; with the use of a weight, this focuses on the inner thigh/groin muscles and promotes a deeper stretch
Child's Pose; helps with decompression of muscles throughout the whole back of your body, even lessening nerve irritation.
Cobra Stretch; stretches out the abdominal region and front hip region