The most important movement to undo hours of sitting

Think about a day last week. How many hours did you spend sitting?

This past Thursday, I clocked 12 and a half:

• 7 hours at my desk

• 1 hour across 3 meals

• 2 hours at a friend’s event

• 2 hours watching Love is Blind (I hate how much I love it)

• Another 30 minutes at the gym- even there, I spent half the time sitting on a bench or at a machine

In a world built for sitting —especially for desk workers like us—sitting for a few hours every day is unavoidable.

The first thing we should do is find small ways to sit less throughout the day by alternating with standing or taking walking calls.

A close 2nd, though, is counteracting the muscular effects of sitting with specific movements. That’s what this email’s about.

And in my opinion, one movement trumps them all.
One that most people rarely do, unless they go to yoga.
Hip extension!

When you sit at your desk, in the car, or on the couch, your hips stay in a bent position most of the day. This is called hip flexion. Over time, the muscles at the front of your hips tighten up, making it harder to move in the opposite direction, called hip extension. 

This matters because when you lose hip extension, other parts of your body begin to compensate. This can show up as stiffness or discomfort in your back or your knees.

The good news is you can still reclaim your hips’ ability to extend, even after years of sitting- and a great place to start is the couch stretch.

It’s easier to watch than read instructions, so check out the video and try the stretch after this. I usually place something soft, like a pillow or towel, under my back knee. You can literally do this stretch on your couch while watching TV. Try 30 seconds per leg to start, once per day.

If you lift weights, you’ll get similar benefits from the Bulgarian split squat.
If you practice yoga, those lunges and hip-opening poses give you the same kind of stretch. But overall, the couch stretch is where I think most people should start.

Here’s why I care so much about this: if you’re working a desk job today, chances are you’ll still be sitting at your desk 10-20 years from now (sorry if that’s a depressing thought). That’s 10-20 years of the physical effects of sitting compounding on your body.

What do you want your body to be able to do in 10-20 years?
I still want to be able to play sports with my future kids, hike up mountains, and fully participate in active family vacations.

Being able to do those things later requires regular deposits to the movement bank today. One of the best deposits you can make? Getting your hips into extension a few times a week.

So get stretching!
-Nico

P.S: If you ever have thoughts or feedback, I read every response to this email