Deskercise – Lower Back and Torso Stretches

Sitting for long periods of time can make areas of your lower body sore. To prevent or reduce stiffness and pain, try these stretches. Christine Eley, Mayo Clinic Employee Health Promotion Coordinator shows us how to perform these stretches along with the help of Mayo employees.

Lower back stretch:
1. Sit forward in your chair.
2. Bring one of your knees toward your chest. Use your hands to grab the back of your thigh and gently pull it toward you. Keep your back straight being careful not to lean forward.
3. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
4. Relax and slowly return to the starting position.
5. Repeat the stretch with the other leg.

Back and side stretch:
1. Interlace your fingers
2. Lift your arms straight up over your head.
3. Slowly bend side to side, feeling the stretch.

Seated Twist:
1. First sit up straight.
2. Keeping your hips stationary, twist all the way from your lower back all the way up to your head by looking over your shoulder.
3. You can grab onto the arm rest or back of the chair while stretching.

Seated Hip Stretch:
1. While sitting, cross one ankle over the knee on the other leg.
2. Sit up tall and gently lean forward.