When we sit a lot, the bend of our knee is keeping the calf muscles in a shortened position. This chronic shortening results in the inability to fully flex the ankle and results in compensation patterns in how we walk and stand which then can cause strain in our knees, lower back, and even the neck.

After sitting a while, fully straightening the leg becomes difficult which causes us to overuse the fronts of our thighs (quadricep muscles) and creates too much tension in the knees. This exercise is intended to help stretch the hamstrings, straighten the legs, and release the quadriceps.

After a while with a lot of sitting, our upper spines will tend to slump forward. The Thoracic Stretch is a good way to offset that slouching of the upper back.

An easy movement and stretch for the waist and lower back is to do a side bend, also known as the crescent stretch.

To offset the effects of tight hip flexors, I recommend practicing a lunge as much as possible, especially as a way to take a break from sitting in a chair or in the vehicle.

An easy stretch to offset holding a steering wheel is to pull your arm behind the back using a wall or the side of the vehicle.

A simple quadricep stretch, also known as the runner’s stretch, can help return the quadriceps to a more relaxed and elongated position.

Hanging is also a good way to offset the collapse of the upper spine that can accompany so much sitting. Your don’t need to hang vertically. Side hanging is just as good and it allows you to modify how much weight you require the arms to hold.