Stuck at your desk? Can’t stretch? No worries
Stretching, a key part of health and exercise, can be done anywhere – even in a cubicle
By Andrew Guy Jr.
Like many office workers, Lesly Van Dame works at a desk and sits for several hours per day. Her busy schedule makes it difficult to take an outside exercise break.
Her answer? Stretching at work. During the day, Van Dame does several stretching exercises at her desk.
“You have to try and get at least some stretching in whenever you can,” Van Dame said. “It’s important for your muscles.”
Stretching before physical activity is a key component in exercise regimens. Loosening the muscles and joints can help prevent injury and can aid sore muscles. Stretching can also improve blood flow to the muscles.
But not everyone can get outside for a walk or to the gym for an intense workout. Many office workers must work in mini-stretching exercises during the day.
According to WebMD, people who work at their desks for hours each day are more likely to have health issues like carpal tunnel syndrome, arm and joint problems, and neck and back pain.
For people like Van Dame, it is even more important. She is still dealing with an injury sustained last summer while running in Memorial Park.
“I was running in the park and my foot just hit something, and kaboom,” Van Dame recalled.
“My foot got caught in something and I fell to the ground.”
Diagnosis: A broken fibula. It is the long, slender calf bone in the lower part of the leg. During physical therapy, doctors advised her to stretch, stretch, stretch.
“It’s amazing what happens to your muscles when your calf and foot are put into a cast for three months,” Van Dame said.
Eventually, the cast came off. However, Van Dame still has to take medication for her leg. One of the side effects of the medication is that it makes her legs and muscles somewhat stiff.
Van Dame, a senior auditor in Public Works and Engineering, does several stretches per day during short periods of time while at work.
In one exercise, she interlocks her hands, pulls her hands and arms in front of her, and then stretches out and above over her head. In another exercise, she simply reaches down and touches her toes, stretching her calves and her lower back. She also suggests getting up and talking a stroll around the office. That is a simple, yet effective way of getting muscles going, she said.
“Any kind of stretching gets your endorphins going,” Van Dame said.
Vallerie Villegas, a customer service representative in Planning and Development, is an active runner who struggles with knee problems. But she doesn’t let her bum knee stop her from running.
She stretches it.
“If I don’t stretch, I wouldn’t be able to run,” Villegas said. “I love running.”
Villegas, who completed the Chevron Houston Marathon in January, runs at least three times a week. She said she stretches both before and after her routine.
“It prevents injuries,” Villegas said. “Even for people who aren’t active. It prevents muscles from straining. If you don’t stretch, you could injure yourself or your muscle and the damage could be worse in the long run. I always try and get in some stretches even when I’m not running or going to the gym.”
Van Dame also advises women who want to stretch and remain flexible at work to not get caught up in fashion.
“Definitely get out of the high heels,” she said. “And, make sure you’re wearing the right kind of clothes. If you are wearing very tight clothing, some stretching is going to be difficult.
Maybe wear something a little bit looser where you could slightly unbutton your blouse and do some stretching. Little things can really make a difference.”
There are many other small exercises that can be completed at work, according to WebMD. For example, a person could simply stand up and sit down without using their hands. It’s more challenging than most people realize, and stretches legs. Workers can also substitute a desk chair with an exercise ball. Doing so forces you to keep the upper back balanced and stretches the lower back.
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