According to the latest federal research done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 4 Americans sit for more than 8 hours a day. This is not surprising because there is sometimes no other way in the modern world, with so much comfort and technology available to us. Nevertheless, a sedentary lifestyle is associated with an increased risk of many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, to name a few. When you sit a lot, your posture may get misaligned, and you might get back pain as well. On the other hand, when the human body gets movement and exercise, it thrives. This article will show you five exercises to do after sitting all day.

These exercises are some of my favorites. Even if you don’t have time for a whole workout, even doing a few repetitions of each exercise will bring you some relief. And if you can’t go to the gym or need a short break at work, you can do them with a light resistance band or choose only the ones you can do with bodyweight.

1 . Stretch your lat and chest muscles

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These muscles usually get shortened due to prolonged sitting. And that can pull your shoulders forward and put extra stress on your spine and neck. Ever got cramped neck muscles and headaches after a long workday? Then stretch those muscles!

To do so, lie down to the floor as shown, and rest your chest and straightened arms on the floor. Try to slightly push your chest into the ground, and feel the stretch of the muscles. Take a few deep breaths.

2. Mobilize your thoracic spine

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While chest muscles may shorten after extended sitting, your middle back can get very tight because these muscles are simply overworked by trying to hold the bad posture. Pain in the thoracic region or your middle back is quite common if you sit a lot.
This exercise will help you to mobilize the thoracic spine and might bring you some pain relief.

In the quadrupled position, when exhaling, bring one straightened arm under the other so that only your upper body rotates. Feel the stretch in your back. When inhaling, bring the same arm over your head so that both of your arms and shoulder are in one line. Repeat a few times for one side, then switch to the other.

3. Strengthen your upper back with W-Row

This one not only stretches your chest muscles slightly but, at the same time, also strengthens your upper back and rear delts. This is one of the most effective exercises for helping to bring your shoulders to their original position and the must-have exercise if you sit a lot.

You can do this exercise in sitting, bent-over, or chest-supported positions. You can do it with weights or a resistance band. If you choose a band, make sure it is appropriately positioned.
When exhaling, pull the band toward your face while bringing your forearms toward the ceiling. Your arms and head should form the letter “W“. When inhaling, slowly return to the starting position. Repeat a few times, and concentrate on the working muscles.

4. Strengthen your Hamstrings and glutes with Romanian Deadlift

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Your hamstrings and glutes weaken a lot if you sit all day. How can they not to if you literally sit on them all the time? Even if you don’t strive to have round, strong glute muscles, they still need to be strong for your body to function properly.

The Romanian deadlift is a great exercise that will help you to strengthen both hamstrings and glutes. To do the exercise, bring your torso down by pushing your hips back while inhaling. You should feel a nice stretch in the hamstrings and glutes and keep your back straight at all times. When exhaling, push your hips forward by contracting glutes and hams. Repeat a few times.

5. Walk

This exercise is probably the most underestimated one, yet it’s one of the most helpful. What is the opposite of sitting all day? It’s movement! And the easiest way to get some movement, as well as to finally use your legs and glutes, is to walk. It will also help you get the blood flowing through your body, helping to get rid of waste and toxins.

The recommended daily movement is about 10,000 steps a day. Try to go for a daily walk or at least do some walk-breaks throughout your day.