Sitting into the back stretch
Here’s a nice stretch for your middle and lower back that fits easily into your workday. Just move your chair away from the desk and give it a try whenever your back feels tight or stiff. This move is also a great way to release tension in your neck and shoulders.
-- Karen Voight 1Sit all the way to the back of a sturdy chair (not a rolling one). Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your ankles below your knees, feet flat on the floor. Bend forward at the hips, bringing your chest and ribcage in between your inner thighs. Reach your arms in front of you, with your hands on the floor, looking down between your feet. Pause and feel the stretch in your middle and lower back.
2Once you feel comfortable with the stretch, reach your hands behind your feet and grasp the front legs of the chair. Aim the crown of your head forward away from the chair as you engage your upper back muscles and slide your shoulders down away from your ears. Pull your torso closer to the floor to feel a deeper stretch. Hold for three to six complete breaths, release your hands and slowly sit upright to come out of the stretch.
Voight is the creator of a line of fitness DVDs, including “Sleek Essentials.”
