It should be no surprise if your posture is suffering more now than ever. With America's workforce transitioning to an at-home set-up, we've heard the outcry of neck, shoulder, and back discomfort due to poor ergonomic set ups and the increased use of mobile technology (aka your laptop).
If your posture needs a reboot, here's three stretches from our PRO Fit program that will get you on the right track.
MAKE YOUR WORK BETTER
DOORWAY STRETCH
Its only natural for your shoulders to round forward and inward as you sit at a computer. It's important to reverse this position to counter-balance that stress on your upper body. The doorway stretch is a great way to do just that! This can be done with both arms or just one. Place your arm on the door jam and gently lean forward into the stretch. You should feel this in the front of your shoulder.
HIP STRETCH
When we sit, our hips bear the brunt of stabilizing our upper body. As a result, they can get very tight during long periods of sitting at a desk or behind the wheel. To counter balance this stress, pull your knee up towards you and place your ankle on the opposite knee. Then either hug your knee into your chest or down towards the ground. You should feel this stretch in the buttocks area of the leg that's off the ground.
NECK STRETCH
Many of us, now more than ever, are working from laptops at home. The unfortunate thing about laptops is that they do not encourage good body positioning. Either the arms are held too high to reach the keyboard or the screen is too low. In both cases, the neck is pulled forward into a vulnerable position. To relieve some of this stress, sit up tall and face forward with your hand gently resting on top of your head and the other hand behind your back. Then slowly lower your ear towards the shoulder of the upper hand. No need to press down hard with that hand on your head, the simple weight of your arm is enough!
For more information on helpful stretches or how to ergonomically set up your own at-home desk, fill out the form below.