Fitness Pilates Pilates Workouts

If You’ve Got Tight Hips and Shoulders From Sitting at a Desk All Day, This 10-Minute Pilates Workout Is All You Need for Relief

Allie Flinn

April 25, 2022

The only thing worse for you posture than sitting at a desk all day is slumping over your computer on your couch or bed... something that many of us working from home continue to do, despite knowing we shouldn't. Regardless of where you're sitting, though, this position can lead to pain in your back, neck, and wrists. Thankfully for those of us dealing with these issues, this week's Trainer of the Month Club Pilates recovery workout can give you relief in 10 minutes flat.

In the video, Clara Baini, physical therapist and founder of Good Day Pilates, takes you through a gentle series of movements that help your body recover from a long day of sitting. First up: Your hip flexors."If you're someone who sits at a desk all day, those hip flexors tend to get short and tight," Baini says. You start the workout laying down on your back—always a plus—and move into some bridging. When you get to the top of those bridges, "Think about creating space between each vertebra, finding that really lovely spinal articulation, and also really focusing on the opening at the front of the hips," says Baini.

The workout also contains exercises that can help loosen up your neck and back, including one move Baini calls out for being "really nice if you sit at a desk all day." And during another one of the movements, she says, "You just feel how the small muscles that sit next to the spine will start to open up a little." If you, like me, are now hyper-aware of how tight your muscles feel, press play on the video above for an instant release.

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