For the computer-bound

A majority of folks that I see spend a lot of time at a desk, in front of a computer. Unsurprisingly, a lot of their complaints are the same: stiffness in their lower backs, tension and aches in their necks and between their shoulder blades, constrictions in their chests, unhappy forearms and hands. In brief, let's talk about what happens to your body when you spend hours each day sitting...

Shortened: hamstrings, hip flexors, pectorals, abdominal muscles, pronator teres (in your forearms, turns your hands palm-side down)

Lengthened: scapula stabilizers (rhomboids, trapezius), muscles in the back part of your neck (which are also working overtime if your head is in a forward position, rather than nicely stacked on your spine

What ends up happening is that all of the shortened muscles get used to being short and tight. They pull and pull and pull, creating tension in the muscles that oppose them. A simple way to begin addressing all of the aches and pains that arise from desk work is to stretch. Bob Anderson published a fabulous book on stretching, and makes some basic office stretches available on his website.

One of my personal favorite stretches is a pectoral stretch done on a 36"X6" round foam roller. You place the foam roller under the length of your spine, so that your head and sacrum are supported. Open your arms out, palms up. Bend your elbows 90 degrees. Let gravity pull your chest open. You can change which muscle fibers are stretched by raising and lowering your shoulders...kind of like making a snow angel (but maintain the bend in your elbow).

If you're a visual person, you can watch this lady.

I have to eat something, but I want to get this up, so start with this, and I'll post more later.

Ciao for now.