If you spend your working day hunched over your keyboard, you might notice tightness in your upper body when you finally log off. I’m a fitness writer and it’s something I struggle with regularly—but I’ve found simple stretching can reverse these aches and improve my posture.
I recently came across a new stretch by movement coach and former gymnast Jade Elles, designed to relieve upper-body tension, and knew I had to try it. All you need to do it is a foam roller like this one from Amazon and a single dumbbell.
How to do Jade Elles’s stretch
My verdict
I often have stiff and achy shoulders from typing all day. I gave this stretch a try and can honestly say it felt amazing, opening up my chest and shoulders. Using a dumbbell added some resistance, which allowed me to deepen the stretch. I will definitely be trying it again at the end of my working day.
Why do muscles feel tight after sitting all day?
If you spend a lot of time in the same position, your muscles and joints might feel tight and achy. This could be because you’re holding the muscle in a contracted position for long periods, causing it to shorten, or because your posture is putting it under a lot of strain and tension.
Stretching exercises loosen everything up, releasing tension and restoring the muscle flexibility needed to maintain a good range of motion. If we don’t make time to stretch when muscles are tight, when we call on them during exercise they won’t be able to extend and that can put us at risk of strain and injury.
If you want to try a longer routine, I recommend these yoga stretches for beginners, which will stretch a wider range of muscles and joints in the body.
