In the absence of movement and physical activity, the body tends to start aching and showing signs of stiffness.
The global outbreak of the novel coronavirus has forced many of us to work from within the safety of our house, so we do not interact with a potentially sick person and get infected. This scenario has also somewhat limited our daily movement. As a result, most of us are sitting and working remotely, eating our food and then going to sleep, only repeat it all the next day.
In the absence of movement and physical activity, the body tends to start aching and showing signs of stiffness. And even if you are not feeling it right now, you may begin to feel it in a week or two.
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As such, it is best to do some stretching every now and then, so as to get the blood pumping and the muscles going. What’s best is, these stretches are so simple that you can do them when you are waiting for the coffee to brew in the morning, or the eggs to get boiled.
Sit down and touch your toe
This is one of the most popular stretches that can alleviate any kind of backache. When you sit and work for long hours, bending down and picking things up can prove to be difficult. All you need to do, when you are done for the day, is to sit down and extend one of the legs in front of you. Fold the other so it touches the inner thigh of the extended leg. Then stretch your upper body and try to touch the toes. Even if you find it difficult, try touching your shin instead. Hold your breath and stay in this position for 10 seconds, and then switch. Doing this on a regular basis can help.
Stretching by the door
This one, too, is pretty simple, and can give you a good posture, if you have been slouching at home. All you need to do is loosen your chest, stand against a door, place an arm on the frame and bend the elbow at 90 degrees. With your arm in place, pull your body forward and feel your chest and torso stretch. Hold this position for while and then switch.
Neck stretch
Experts say that since we are always hunching over our laptops, our necks are perpetually in a state of pain, even when we do not realise. This pain can travel to our jaw and our head as well. As such, we need to simply rotate our neck and look up at the ceiling from time to time. Our neck has to crane in all the directions for it to be stretched well. You must also look at the floor and to your sides, when you are working.
Stretch when seated
The muscles on our hip and butt need to be used, too. When we sit for long periods, we limit our movement. This can cause the weakening of these muscles. For this stretch, you can sit on a chair and place your left ankle over your right knee. Then slowly, with the use of your left hand, you can turn the left knee towards the floor. Hold this position, breathe in and out, and then switch.
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