Sitting is killing your mobility!
Spending hours sitting in chairs is without a doubt one of the most harmful habits of modern lifestyles. Whether sitting in an office chair or spending hours driving, prolonged sitting results in tight hips, back, shoulders, and neck.
In my estimation, the effects of excessive sitting are the primary reason that we have come to normalize losing mobility as we get older. We're not doomed to end up with hunchbacks and living in constant pain! We just have to be diligent about reversing the effects of our modern lifestyles.
After a recent trip, my partner Vicky and I decided to do a partner stretching session to provide some relief to the muscle groups that had gotten tight after a long drive. These stretch variations were chosen to address our particular needs, so this is not meant to be a follow-along session. However, I do hope you are inspired to incorporate similar stretches in your routine.
A few notes on partner stretching safety:
1. Never stretch to the point of pain. Even a minor amount of overstretching can result in muscle and connective tissue tears that can take MONTHS to heal (I've done this...). It's not worth the risk, so progress incrementally.
2. Partner stretching requires clear communication between partners to get the most benefit and to maintain safety. The person being stretched should be regularly providing feedback to their partner.
3. As the person assisting the stretch, position your body so that you can increase or decrease the stretch intensity by simply by shifting your bodyweight. This is much less tiring for you and gives you superior control.
You will be amazed at how quickly you can improve with just 1-2 partner stretching sessions per week!
