The 7 Best Stretches for People Who Sit Too Much

Are you realizing, like so many people, that you’re sitting way too much? 

And if you’re sitting too much, are you having back, neck or hip pain? Are your joints  feeling stiff? Or are your muscles feeling tight?  You may even be having headaches.

Sitting too much can cause any of these problems.

Honestly, the human body was not made to sit all day.  We were made to stand, run, move and play.  

If you have been working in front of a computer, or doing endless Zoom meetings, or watching Netflix, or driving or flying a long distance, you may not realize just how much sitting you’re doing. 

So, what can you do to help alleviate these aches and pains or prevent them from ever happening?

There is a solution for sitting too much. And it’s an easy answer…STRETCH.

You need to stretch the muscles that get tight from sitting. Below are 7 stretches you can do to relieve the common problems associated with sitting too much.

I’ve included videos to help you do the stretches correctly and safely. Be sure to refer to them and take it slowly at first. Always consult with your doctor if anything doesn’t seem quite right.

7 important muscle groups to stretch when you have been sitting too much:

1. 1. 1. Calf (gastrocnemious and soleus) 
      2. Quads (rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralus, and vastus intermedius)
      3. Hip Flexors (iliopsoas, tensor fasciae latae, pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, and gracious)
      4. Piriformis
      5. Abs ( internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis)
      6. Chest (pectoralis major, pectoralis minor,  subclavius and sarratus anterior)
      7. Neck (suboccipital, the suprahyoid, the infrahydroid, the scalenes and sternocleidomastoid)

1. The Calf Muscles 

Where are they? The calf muscles, the gastrocnemious and the soleus, make up the muscles at the back of your lower leg.  They connect to the heel of your foot via the Achilles tendon. They run up the length of your lower leg, connecting behind your knee.  

What do they do? The job of the calf muscles is to extend your ankle. In simple terms, these muscles allow you to point your toes. If you want to work them right now, stand up and raise your heels off the ground.  Feel those muscles burning? Those are your calf muscles.

Why are they important to stretch? The main reason to stretch the calves is to prevent injuries. Tight calves can cause two major problems, Achilles tendinitis, and plantar fasciitis. Both of these conditions are painful, can take a long time to recover and are usually preventable.   

 Here is how you stretch your calves:

2. Quads 

Where are they? The quadriceps are a group of 4 muscles—rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus lateralus, and vastus intermedius. They make up the muscles at the front of the leg. They are best known as the thighs. They run the length of your upper leg from the hip to the knee.

What do they do? The main job of the quadriceps muscles is to extend the knee. Simply put… they straighten your leg.  If you are sitting right now, straighten your leg. Feel those muscles? Those are your quads.

Why are they important to stretch? The main reason to stretch your quads (besides the fact that it feels good) is to reduce knee pain and help to prevent injuries. Quad tightness can alter the way forces are transferred through the ligaments and tendons in the knee making them more prone to injury.

Here is a great quad stretch:

3. HIP FLEXORS

Where are they?  Like your quad muscles, the hip flexors consist of several different muscles: the iliopsoas, tensor fasciae latae, pectineus, adductor longus, adductor brevis, and gracious.  They sit at the front of your hip and they run from your trunk to the top of your thigh.

What do they do? As their name suggests, their main job is to flex your hips. What does this mean? Their job is to bring your knee up toward your chest. Stand on one leg and bring the knee of the other leg up.  The hip flexor muscles are what raise your knee.  

Why are they important to stretch?  When your hip flexors get tight, they can pull your pelvis out of alignment. This can cause an anterior pelvic tilt and an excessive arch in the lower back.  Both of these things can cause pain in the lower back. 

Here is the best way to stretch the hip flexors:

4. Piriformis 

Where is it? The piriformis muscle is a muscle deep in your buttocks. In fact, it lies directly beneath the gluteus maximus muscle. 

What does it do? Its job is to externally rotate the hip. 

Why is it important to stretch?  The reason it is important to stretch this muscle has to due 100% with where it is located.  You see, the muscle crosses directly over the sciatic nerve.  So, when the muscle gets tight,  it can spasm and press on the sciatic nerve causing pain and tingling down the leg.

Here is the best way to stretch the Piriformis:

5. Abdominal Muscles

Where are they?  The abdominal muscles consist of four sets of muscles, the internal obliques, external obliques, rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis.  The make up the musculature of the front of the trunk from the chest to the pelvis.  

What do they do?  The main job of the abdominal muscles is to flex the trunk.  In simple terms, that means they move the body from the rib cage toward the pelvis.  

Why are they important to stretch? The abdominal muscles attach to the top of the pelvis.  So, similar to hip flexor muscles, if they are tight, they throw off the alignment of the pelvis causing lower back pain.

Here is a great way to stretch your abs:

6. Chest Muscles

Where are they?  The muscles of your chest are the pectoralis major, the pectoralis minor, the subclavius, and the serratus anterior.  They make up all the muscles from the bottom of your sternum (the xiphoid process) up to your collar bone (the clavicle).

What do they do? The chest muscles have several different functions. But the main job is to push your arms away from your body. Think about a push-up or bench press exercise.

Why are they important to stretch?  When the chest muscles get tight, they can pull your shoulders forward.  Over time, this can cause pain in your upper back as well as your shoulders and neck. 

Here is a great chest stretch:

7. Neck Muscles

The muscles of the neck are the suboccipital, the suprahyoid, the Infrahydroid, the scalenes, the sternocleidomastoid and the upper trapezius.

Where are they? The neck muscles sit between your torso and your head. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. The muscle that usually needs the most stretching is the sternocleidomastoid. This muscle sits on both the left and the right side of the neck. 

What do they do? The job of the sternocleidomastoid muscles is to rotate the head and to flex the neck.

Why are they important to stretch? Your neck muscles are not only important for holding your head up, when tight they can also cause dizziness, imbalance, pain in your neck, jaw or back of your head or ears.

Finally, if your calves, quads, hip flexors, abs, and chest are tight, your neck will be tight as well. I guarantee it.

So, here is the best way to stretch your neck:

There you have it…7 great and easy stretches that begin to fix the damage that has been done by sitting too long.

Do these stretches every day. Don’t stretch to the point of pain.

You’ll feel the difference, I promise!