Think about the number of hours all of you over-worked professionals sit each day: the commute to work, the actual workday, the commute home and then the evening veg sesh on the couch.
Does your body even know how to maintain proper posture anymore?
As celebrity fitness trainer Andrea Orbeck explains, when we sit on our toosh for hours on end, the constant 90-degree angle of our hips cause the hip flexors, or the muscle that lifts the knee, to shorten and tighten.
“I call this the Corporate Stance,” she said, “when we stand and the hips are tilting forward from the tight hip flexors, it compromises our posture and pulls on the back muscles and hamstrings.”
More often than not, this Corporate Stance leads to chronic back and neck problems as well as weakened glutes. In order to alleviate the pains associated with the workday, Orbeck recommends stretching and strengthening the muscles that are in opposition to the positions nine-to-fivers often take, like sitting and slouching over the keyboard.
Routine physical activity, she adds, like a walk outside during lunch, will further strengthen the body’s muscles. “If we sit too long as well, our glutes actually forget how to fire. Being active will create energy, self-esteem, better conditioning and expand the day to other areas of interest beyond the boardroom. Dare I say bedroom?” said Orbeck.
Orbeck recommends that all of you busy worker bees give your posture a fair, fighting chance to make a straight-backed comeback. Commit to the following posture exercises five days a week for the next several weeks.
Health
The results?
A guaranteed, more upright-looking you.
Andrea Orbeck’s Posture Series
The posture series can be done with handled elastic tubing, available in any sporting goods store or online.
Deadlift
(Works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, trapezius muscles, lats, spinal erectors, abs)
The deadlift works so many muscles, particularly your core muscles, and it can help reduce lower back pain and improve posture.
Standing with feet shoulder width apart (SWA), contract your shoulder blades, bending the knees slightly and tilting forward at the hips. Find your hamstrings to hinge your body down until you are almost parallel to the ground, maintaining the proud chest and pulled back shoulders. Contract the hamstrings to stand back up, finishing you to a tall, erect position.
Remember to maintain a slight arch of the lower back while performing this exercise. Avoid a rounded spine and place the emphasis of the weight on your heels, not your toes.
Perform 10 to 12 repetitions.
Standing row
(Works the back, biceps)
Use rubber tubing with handles. Anchor it in a door or affix it to something stable.
Standing with feet SWA, walk away to generate tension in the band with arms stretched out in front. Grip handles of tubing with palms facing forward. With posture tall and shoulders drawn back, row the elbows back while maintaining a tall chest.
To increase tension in the band, take several steps away from the anchor to create more resistance. Repeat 20 reps for two sets.
Standing lat pull down
(Works the back, lumbar spine)
Stand and hold band in both hands above your head. Hands should be a bit wider than shoulder-width, the abs engaged.
Keeping the left hand stable, contract the lat muscles on the right side to pull the elbow down toward the ribcage. Do not move the non-working arm, but instead contract your muscles to keep the arm completely stable as the other arm moves. Feel the back in the movement and refrain from tilting to the side as you pull.
Return to start and repeat for one to three sets of 15-20 reps before switching sides.
(You control the tension in this exercise. If you need more intensity, hold the hands closer together or use a heavy band.)
Reverse lunge with tubing
(Works the back, quads, glutes, inner thighs)
Stand with your feet SWA and keep your trunk upright. Hold the tubing in the same position as you did with the standing row.
Pulling the handles toward you, hold the row and slowly take a large step backwards with your right foot. Lower your hips until your left thigh, which is in front, is parallel to the ground. Your left knee should be directly above your ankle. Your left foot should be pointed straight ahead and your right heel should be lifted.
Pushing through your left leg, contract your glutes strongly to return to the starting position. If you are a beginner, alternate from left to right leg. For more of a challenge, perform 10 reps on each leg.
For more workout ideas and health tips, visit Andrea Orbeck at www.andreaorbeck.com.
