How to Kick Sitting in the Butt
Chronic sedentary habits are directly correlated with decreased cardiovascular health. However, in order to make a living, most of us are required to sit for a significant period of time during the work day. Having the knowledge and ability to negate the negative side effects of sitting can be your greatest tool. From a musculoskeletal standpoint, some of the negative effects of prolonged sitting are tight hip flexors, inactive glutes, postural imbalances, and of course neck and back pain.
Here’s an example of how prolonged sitting affects your body. Your hip flexors are the muscles that help you raise your legs. When you are sitting, your hip flexors are in a shortened position because your hip is bent and your legs are raised by having your feet on the floor. Assuming this position for long periods of time sends the message to your brain that your hip flexors do not need to use a very large range of motion. This is what causes your hip flexors to feel "tight."
Your gluteus muscles work to extend your hip and do the exact opposite muscle action of your hip flexors. When you are sitting, your glutes are in a lengthened position, which sends the message to your brain that your glutes should stretch and relax (and not contract). This message is essentially what causes your glutes to become “inactive.” If you participate in chronic sitting, you may even find that it is difficult to activate your glutes on command.
Try it! Can you squeeze your glutes on command without moving your legs or torso? Can you activate one side and not the other?
***As a short disclosure, the best combatants for prolonged sitting are simply taking frequent breaks, acquiring a standing desk, and achieving the American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) recommendation of a minimum of 150 minutes of exercise each week. Keep in mind though, that current research now has two distinct risk factor categories for prolonged sitting and consistent weekly exercise. If you are getting 150 minutes of exercise every week, you may still be at a high risk for certain health conditions if you also participate in prolonged sitting.
Here are six of our favorite exercises and mobility movements that help combat the negative effects of sitting.
1. Deer in Headlights Glute Bridge
Instructions:
Lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
Actively squeeze both of your glutes without moving your torso or legs.
Keeping your glutes activated, drive through your heels and lift your butt off the ground.
Lift your butt until your thighs, hips, and torso form a straight line. **Do not allow your hips to lift past this straight line.
NOTE: your constant ground points of contact should be your feet, shoulders and head.
How It Helps:
As explained before, prolonged sitting can lead to inactive glutes, and the deer in headlights glute bridge teaches you how to activate your glutes on command and work a healthy hip extension range of motion. Performing this exercise teaches your brain to activate your glutes and extend your hips, and those are two of the biggest musculoskeletal issues with prolonged sitting.
2. Runner’s Lunge with T-Drill (right side demonstration)
Instructions:
Take a big step back with your right foot, and be sure that both of your toes are pointed directly forward and both feet are fully on the ground.**If your right heel comes up off the ground, move it forward until it is fully planted on the ground.
Load your right leg by transferring 80% of your weight onto your right foot.
Draw the letter "T" with your right knee: First bend your knee as far over your toe as it will go without allowing your heel to lift up.
Keeping the forward knee drive, cross the top of the "T" by driving your knee to the right and left.
Release the forward drive by straightening the knee and equally loading both feet, then repeat.
How it Helps:
In a typical seated position, your ankles are either neutral (~90 degree angle to the floor) or plantarflexed (toes pointed). This position causes your achilles tendon to feel "tight." Your achilles tendon attaches to your calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus), which may also feel the same tightness. The exercise above puts the achilles tendon in a lengthened position and moves the ankle joint in a way that tells your brain to allow the achilles tendon to release tension.
3. 3-Part Split Stance Hip Activation (right side demonstration)
Instructions:
Take a big step back with your right foot. Keep your toes pointed forward and both feet fully planted on the ground.
Straighten your right knee while keeping your heel on the ground.
Hike your left hip up towards your ribcage. You should feel a squeeze on the left side of your abdominal muscles when you do this.
Actively squeeze your right glute.
NOTE: this stretch can be intense. Back off of the range of motion if it is too much, and continually take deep breaths while holding the position.
How it Helps:
This mobility movement uses the active lengthened range of motion of your hip flexor. Prolonged sitting can cause a tightness to take hold of your hip flexors, but this stretch will help you to release that built up tension.
4. Standing Spine Wave
Instructions:
Allow your chin to drop to your chest.
Let your shoulders collapse forward and your arms relax dangling in front.
Let your upper back and shoulders to round and weigh you down.
Collapse your ribcage down and in towards your belly button, causing your mid-back to round and become the highest part of your body.
Tuck your pelvis and round your low back reaching down toward the ground.
Continue to allow yourself to fold forward reaching toward your toes in a consciously relaxed state.
Repeat these instructions in reverse order to stand back up.
NOTE: Activate your glutes and push them forward for a smoother reversal motion. This also activates your glutes and protects your low back from excessive strain.
How it Helps:
Although primarily focused on flexion, or bending, this exercise does a great job of addressing every vertebrae in your back for incredible back mobility. As a bonus, you also activate your glutes and brace your core, which combat the negative side effects of prolonged sitting.
5. 3-Way Chest Opener
Instructions:
Set a band up chest height, and grip the band palms up with 8-12 inches of band between your hands.
Without bending your elbows retract your shoulder blades by squeezing them together (do not let your shoulders hike up).
Pull the band, driving your elbows back and down tucking them into your side.
Extend your elbows, push your hands back and apart to form an upside-down "Y" with palms facing forward.
Keep your shoulders pulled back and feel your chest opening up.
Release the band in the reverse motions and repeat.
How it Helps:
When we sit for long periods of time, we tend to have a rounded shoulder and lengthened upper back and shoulder muscles. This exercise primarily works your latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and triceps which are all posterior back and shoulder muscles. It will get you to open up your chest and activate those muscles that are inactively lengthened during long periods of sitting.
6. Chin Tucks
Instructions:
Sit or stand with a neutral spine (not forcing it to straighten or round, do what comes naturally to you).
With your head perfectly straight, find a focal point at eye level to fixate on.
Leading with your chin, push your head forward. Use the focal point, so you can be sure you are not looking up or down.
Perform the reverse movement by retracting your chin backward past the neutral position. Again do not lose your focal point.
How it Helps:
Whether you are working on a computer, reading a notebook, or writing, people have a tendency to gradually progress into a forward head posture. Chin Tucks strengthen small, deep muscles in your neck that help fight against this forward head posture.
Try these quick and simple exercises to help kick sitting in the butt! And now, do the best thing you can do to help fight prolonged sitting, go for a walk!
Want more: sign up for our screen & warm-up to get your own personalized routine! Training — Penny Project Life
Resources:
Marshall S. Gyi D. Evidence of Health Risks from Occupational Sitting Where Do We Stand? American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2010;30(4):389-391.
