Working at a desk Monday to Friday means I deal with persistent stiffness in my hips and lower-back ache.
To help combat this, I've recently been trying mobility and strength routines that strengthen the muscles and joints that can be affected by excessive sitting.
Certified mobility coach Anthony Green shared a routine that piqued my interest, as it's designed to strengthen the core muscles, which are located in and around the torso, and mobilize the hips.
Desk job workers are particularly prone to limited range of motion in the hips, which can lead to stiffness and put pressure on the lower back. Strengthening the core helps to support the lower-back muscles and reduce the chance of aches and niggles.
I decided to give this routine a go during my lunch break to see if it could relieve any tension.
A post shared by Anthony Green | Mobility
A photo posted by coachgreen.pt on
There are four movements in this routine and Green recommends completing each of them for between 45 and 60 seconds before moving on to the next one.
I was especially interested to try this routine because it includes some movements that I haven't come across before.
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The first move, from a 90-90 position, provided a welcome stretch for my hips and I felt them loosen almost immediately.
The other exercises strengthen the hip joints and core muscles. Each one required a lot of control and I had to engage my core muscles throughout in order to remain stable and balanced.
The routine engaged a range of my core muscles, including the abdominals along the front of my stomach, lower back and obliques, which run along my sides.
Going back to my desk, I noticed my hips felt a bit looser, but I think to see results from this routine, I'd have to do these movements regularly for a few weeks.
You can't build core strength overnight, but I hope by coming back to routines like this one, I'll be working to strengthen my core and reduce the effects of my desk job in the long run.
Alice Porter is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle topics including health, fitness and wellness. She is particularly interested in women's health, strength training and fitness trends and writes for publications including Stylist Magazine, Refinery29, The Independent and Glamour Magazine. Like many other people, Alice's personal interest in combining HIIT training with strength work quickly turned into a CrossFit obsession and she trains at a box in south London. When she's not throwing weights around or attempting handstand push-ups, you can probably find her on long walks in nature, buried in a book or hopping on a flight to just about anywhere it will take her.
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