Have a Desk Job? You Should Read This.

I lead a sedentary lifestyle.

Working out 5-6 days a week does not change that. The fact is that the majority of my time is spent in a seated position.

Exercise absolutely helps to counteract the effects of this. Making sure I get 30-60 minutes of physical activity a day is doing wonders for my overall health and wellbeing.

But it’s not enough to overcome the damage done by the fact that on an average day I’m on my a** for roughly twelve hours.

One of the most common postural distortions caused by being sedentary is called lower crossed syndrome. This basically means that, when viewed from the side while standing still, the hips are tilted forward and the lower back is curved. The muscles that surround the pelvic girdle and hip complex are out of whack. Holding the body in a seated position for extended periods of time, day after day, year after year, has shortened some muscles, and weakened or inhibited others.

Posture is always changing to accommodate movement. When muscular imbalances are present, it causes the body to recruit the wrong muscles to achieve a movement. This can lead to injury, so it’s important to correct the imbalance to build a foundation for proper muscle recruitment.

In this video I talk about some basic stretching techniques for hip flexors, which are muscles located primarily on the front of the body around the hip/pelvic area. Muscles in this group are commonly shortened and tightened as a result of sitting all day.

Please note, I’m speaking in generalities here. Some people may have lots of flexibility in their hips regardless of their lifestyle. You should always consult a physician to make sure you’re healthy enough for exercise and that you don’t have any underlying health issues that would make stretching or foam rolling unsafe for you. The techniques in the video are simply an example of what works for me.

Oh, and for those of you who are here for the beauty stuff? The first half of the video is my take on the products from May’s Boxycharm delivery. :o)

Thanks for watching!

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