Stiff hips and a sore spine are byproducts of a sedentary lifestyle, but they can be hard to avoid when you sit at a desk all day.
That’s why mobility app Pliability has launched its Workforce Hub; a collection of stretching routines designed to “counteract the detrimental effects of prolonged sitting by alleviating muscle tightness, enhancing flexibility and maintaining optimal posture”.
The routines take just 11-19 minutes, so I decided to step away from my laptop screen, roll out a yoga mat and give one a go.
How to do Pliability’s Workforce Hub stretching routine
- Half front split
- Elevated pigeon stretch
- Samson overhead turns
- Twisted cross stretch
- Dragon pose
Hold the five stretches above for 90-120 seconds. If the stretch focuses on one side of the body, hold it for 90-120 seconds on each side.
1. Half front split
(Image credit: Pliability)
- Start in a high kneeling position. Extend your right leg in front of you so your heel is on the ground and your toes are pointing upward.
- Lean forward and place your hands on the ground either side of your right knee for support (you might want to place your hands on an elevated surface like two yoga blocks here). Let your head hang heavy as you relax your neck and upper back. You should feel this stretch in the back of your right thigh.
- Breathe and relax for 90 seconds, then switch sides and repeat.
My results
The hamstrings are the large muscles on the back of the thigh responsible for bending the leg at the knee, and coming into this mobility session mine felt incredibly tight.
Luckily, this move delivered a deep stretch immediately, while my neck and spine appreciated being allowed to hang loose rather than craning forward to look at a phone or laptop screen.
“This pose improves flexibility within the hamstrings, lower back and hip region, while stimulating the abdominal organs and strengthening the legs,” Pliability’s…
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