Sprout’s Workshop Recap: Desk Job Detox

Apr 5

ICYMI: I hosted my very first workshop last week! It was so exciting to work with such a fun group in such a neat space, and I look forward to doing it again!

A few of those who subscribe to this newsletter were able to attend, but I want those who live out of state to get some of the benefits of this workshop too!

About Desk Job Detox

First things first, the name is a little misleading. The workshop (and the content of this blog post) is ideal for those who work sedentary jobs, not just those who work at a desk or in an office! Though desk jobs are often what we picture when we think of sedentary work, there are plenty of other careers that require a lot of sitting.

Also, detoxes are fake! There is very little scientific evidence that supports any sort of detox, from liver cleanses to oxygen detoxes. Most of us have bodies that take care of detoxing via our livers.

So, though the stretches taught in this workshop are incredibly helpful, a few quick run-throughs of them isn’t going to change years of sedentary behavior. These are stretches we need to regularly incorporate into our daily life for a future of mobility, flexibility, and minimum pain. So let’s dive in!

Prevalence of Sedentary Work

According to research by the American Heart Association, Over 80% of all US jobs are predominantly sedentary. Again, this is more than just office jobs! Driving, illustrating, and sometimes working in production are just a few examples of sedentary careers.

Looking outside of sedentariness in careers only, here are some statistics on sedentariness:

1 in 4 adults in the US sit for more than 8 hours a day

2 in 5 US adults are physically inactive
1 in 10 US adults both sit for 8 hours a day and are physically inactive.

We also have to consider how COVID affected things. Studies show that, following COVID-19, sedentary and active behaviors were negatively affected. Sedentariness went up, physical activity went down.

Long-Term Effects of Sedentary Behaviors

Unfortunately, a sedentary lifestyle comes with inherent risks. Sedentary behavior is a risk factor for both all-cause mortality and cardiometabolic diseases. Many studies report that sedentary jobs worsen the risk or symptoms of chronic diseases such as cancer, hypertension, depression, and more.

A change in the fatigue of workers was also found after an increase in sedentary behavior due to COVID.

Finally, the focus of this post: increased sedentary behavior leads to deconditioning, which can increase the risk of injury. We get weaker, our muscles get tighter, and we end up hurting ourselves easier and doing simple movements.

How our Bodies React

Though prolonged sitting can affect essentially every part of the body, there are three main areas to highlight: the neck, hips, and back.

Neck

Neck pain due to office jobs is not uncommon. Most often this has to do with poor posture. Sitting for long periods can cause postural strain in our necks, backs, and shoulders. This leads to soreness, which then causes our muscles to tense. As we maintain our seated position, our tense muscles become fatigued, leading to more pain. Because of this fatigue, the surrounding muscles then try to compensate for the work our stabilizing muscles can’t do. This leads to more pain and stiffness in the neck and upper back.

Hips

Hip pain and stiffness are quite common with sedentariness. Long periods of sitting can cause a decrease in hip strength, which then leads to weaker glutes, core, and hip extensors.

When we sit with bent knees, our hamstrings are relaxed and shortened and our hip flexors are at their shortest length. Our muscles get used to being in this shortened position and tighten up, leading to fatigue and pain.

In addition, as our joints, muscles, and body parts are all connected, this tightness can work its way down into tight glutes and inner thighs. This leads to muscles like those in our lower back, inner thighs, and even feet being overworked.

Back

Lower back pain can often be a symptom of hip pain or tightness. Lower back pain caused by sitting for too long often relates to the discs in our vertebrae either losing cushioning, being compressed, or bulging.

For example, tight hip flexors and hamstrings can create an anterior pelvic tilt, which is when the top of the pelvis shifts forward and down. This tilt puts pressure on and compresses our lumbar spine discs.

When our disks are affected as such, the muscles of our lumbar spine tighten up to stabilize which, just like in our neck, eventually leads to fatigue, which causes spasms.

As stated above, most upper back pain is related to postural strain.

Daily Stretches to Combat Stiffness and Fatigue

This workshop featured a variety of stretches in seated, standing, and floor stretches and exercises. I’ll focus on the seated stretches on this post, but I’m happy to share the other options! If you want to know more, contact me or sign up for your free consultation! We can put together a quick routine to perform during daily movement breaks.

Perform each move for 30 seconds. If the movement has to be repeated on the other side, hold each side for 30 seconds.

Neck stretches:

Chin tuck:

Start seated with a neutral spine, feet flat on the floor
Firmly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth
Moving only your head, not your neck, drop your chin down
Return to the starting position and repeat

Upper trap stretch:

Sit with a neutral spine, feet flat on the floor, and place your right hand under you
Wrap your left arm over your head, resting on on the right side of your head
Lower your chin to your chest and turn your nose toward your armpit
Let the weight of your hand gently pull your head
Repeat on the other side

Neck rolls:

Start seated with a neutral spine, feet flat on the floor
Lower your right ear to your shoulder and hold for 1-2 seconds
Tilt your head forward, chin dropping to chest, and hold for 1-2 seconds
Lower your left ear to your left shoulder and hold for 1-2 seconds
Tilt your head back and your chin up to the ceiling and hold for 1-2 seconds

Upper body stretches:

Cross-body shoulder stretch:

Start seated with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Take your right arm and cross it over your chest
Hook your left arm under your right, pulling it to feel a deeper stretch
Repeat on other arm

Side pull shoulder stretch:

Start seated with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Take your right arm behind your back
Grab your right hand or wrist with your left hand and pull it behind you to the left
Repeat on other arm

Overhead tricep stretch:

Start seated with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Raise your right arm straight up in the air, bending your elbow and placing your hand on your back
Use your left hand to pull your right arm deeper into this position for a deeper stretch
Repeat on other arm

Chest opener:

Start seated with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Take your hands and clasp them together behind your back
Pull your arms down and back, away from your body. For a deeper shoulder stretch, pull your arms up and hinge forward

Upper back stretch:

Start seated with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Interlace your hands and stretch them out in front of you, rounding your back
Hold or move your arms around for a deeper stretch

Lower body stretches:

Seated adductor stretch:

Start seated toward the front of your chair with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Walk your feet wider than hip distance
Place your elbows against your knees and hinge your upper body down toward the floor
Push your elbows against your knees, feeling a stretch in your inner thighs
To come up, place your hands on top of your knees and push up

Seated figure 4:

Start seated with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Place your left ankle on your right knee and hinge forward, your back straight. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your glutes
Repeat on other leg

Seated lunge:

Sit sideways in your chair, your inside leg resting on the chair and foot flat on the floor
Extend your outside leg back, your knee bent at 90° and keep your toes curled under
Maintain a neutral spine and try not to lean forward
Repeat on other leg

Seated hamstring stretch:

Start seated toward the front of your chair with a neutral spine and feet flat on the floor
Extend one leg straight out, keeping your heel on the ground and your toes up
Sit with a neutral spine and hinge forward until you feel a stretch in the back of your leg
Repeat on other side

Seated hip flexor stretch:

Sit sideways in your chair, your inside leg resting on the chair and foot flat on the floor
Extend your outside leg back until your leg is as stretched out as comfortable, toes curled under
Maintain a neutral spine and try not to lean forward
Repeat on other leg

Don’t Stress, Get Moving

Though the statistics are bleak, it’s not all bad! After reading this (or possibly before) we’re more aware of the risks of sedentariness and can take meaningful steps to prevent them.

In addition, there have been many studies on the benefits of physical activity and the results are in our favor! An increase in physical activity is associated with a decrease in fatigue over time. Physical activity is also considered a primary and secondary prevention method for chronic diseases like cancer, hypertension, depression, and more.

Physical activity can come in the form of walking, swimming, biking, resistance training, exercise classes, and more! Finding time for these additional activities can be tough, but even dividing it up between your day will help improve symptoms and/or lower the risk of many chronic diseases. While I firmly believe that all movement is good movement, there is a fair amount of time and effort that must go into combatting 8 or more hours a day spent seated. However, it’s also okay to start slow and work your way up to additional physical activity! Try to take 5-10 minute movement breaks every hour, getting up to walk and performing these stretches.

If you want to discuss any of the stretches and exercises listed above, learn additional movements, or talk about how to fit physical activity into your daily life, let me know, or set up your free consultation!

Photo by Nathan Riley on Unsplash

Katie Szymanski