These three moves will help you look better and feel better
There are some exercises that you just can’t get enough of.
Three such examples: wall slides, thoracic rotations, and single-leg hip
raises.
Unusual names, yes. But while you may not be familiar with
these moves, chances are, you should be doing them every day.
Why? Because they help offset the toll that working on a
computer—or even a mobile device—takeas on your body.
Specifically, that toll is poor posture, which frequently
leads to neck, shoulder, and back pain. And because sitting and slumping as you
type, surf, or text can consume hours of your day, the more frequently you perform
these moves, the better.
The best part: You can do these no-weight, no-sweat
exercises anywhere.
(And for a complete workout program you can do at home to
blast calorie and flatten your belly, check out The Anarchy Workout. One guy
lost 18 pounds of pure fat in just 6 weeks!)
Exercise 1. Wall Slides
Stop what you’re doing right now, and imagine that there’s a
string attached from the ceiling to your chest. Now imagine that the string is
being tightened, pulling your chest closer towards the ceiling.
If you were sitting with good posture, your chest wouldn’t
rise much. But if you’re like most people, you just raised up a few inches.
(You can also remind yourself to sit as tall as you can.)
This is a good way to see how much you slump. And if you do,
you should start doing an exercise called the wall slide immediately.
For best results, do 10 to 15 reps of this exercise up to
three times a day. (It's easy to do in your office, and a great warmup before
you lift weights.)
Yes, it looks simple—and it is. But you’ll love how good it
makes your shoulders and upper back feel.
2. Hip Raises
It’s not just slumping that hurts your posture. Simply
sitting can be harmful, too.
For instance, when you sit constantly—as most of us do—the
muscles on the fronts of your hips become short and tight. What’s more, your
glutes—or butt muscles—actually forget how to contract. (Think about it: With
so much chair time, they're not being used for much of anything except padding
for your hipbones.)
3. Thoracic Rotation
Like wall slides, this is another great exercise for your
upper body posture. Just look around your office: See anyone with a hunch in
his upper back? (Make sure to take an honest look in the mirror, too.)
Compare his posture to that of Superman. The difference
should jump at you: Superman has his chest up and shoulders pulled back; your
colleague is just the opposite. The reason is simple: Your muscles and
connective tissue tend to “set” in the position your body is in the most often.
Now you can’t fix 8 hours of slumping with just one
exercise. But you can counteract some of the daily damage using thoracic
rotation.
0 Comments: