I’m confident that this 30-day stretching challenge will change the way your body moves.
Start small!
Sitting all day. Working long hours is detrimental to our health. Stretching for at least 10–12 minutes is part of my 30-day challenge to build healthy, sustainable habits.
So far, I have completed nine 30-day challenges since January. You can see the details below.
List of 30-Day Challenges You Can Start Today
The Pandemic expedited almost every industry to build new tools to manage the workforce. Therefore, employees can work from home, which is great for boosting productivity but has worse effects on their health.
I agree that working long hours and sitting all day in front of a screen can help increase your bank balance, but it’s harmful to your health in the long term.
We all know that large muscles are crucial to keeping our bodies in balance. Research shows that sitting for long hours can weaken your legs and gluteal muscles. Researchers are calling — sitting is the new smoking.
By sitting all day, your wrists, shoulders, neck, and hands can also weaken if you don’t incorporate some exercise or stretching routine. I am pretty sure you hear all the time from your colleagues about the stiff back.
I am in my early 30s and a bit more cautious about my health compared to my 20s. I also work from home 8 hours full-time job then 4+ hours of side-hustles including Medium writing.
If you spend 8+ hours in a sitting position, I highly recommend investing in an electric standing desk (affiliate link). It boosted my productivity and is also great for my overall health.
If you cannot afford it, I suggest using this free online tool to work in intervals. Make sure to stand up after each 50-minute work session and spend the next 10 minutes listening to music, stretching your legs, doing plank exercises, and/or pushups to recharge your brain.
I usually spend 10–12 hours in front of a screen on weekdays.
Tip: I spend as much of my weekends outside as possible to connect with nature, which helps me improve both my physical and mental health.
I did the following exercises each day for 42 days to see some tangible results that helped me boost my productivity and flexibility.
Shoulders and neck stretches.
Study shows that 46% of office work pain is related to neck pain because of long sitting hours while staring on-screen in an uncomfortable position.
It’s pretty common to feel a pinch in the neck or strain in the shoulders while sitting all day.
You can do the following basic shoulder stretch exercises.
Shoulders exercises
shoulder raises
shoulders rolls
cross arm-stretching (one of the best exercises)
Cat cow pose
Levator scapulae stretch (neck)
The levator scapulae stretching will help you ease the tension in your neck. These muscles connect the base of your neck to the shoulders. There is one on each side of your neck.
I highly recommend doing it in a standing position.
a. stand up straight
b. Turn your head to the left
c. Bring your right hand over your head, then gently press down
d. Make sure to feel a stretch
e. Now do the same stretch on your left side
Leg Stretches
Sitting all day for long hours can cause blood to pool in your legs, which can cause pain, swelling, or numbness in the future.
Study shows that sitting for long hours can develop varicose vein problem. Veins that look dark purple/blue in color or look twisted like cords. Here are a couple of basic leg stretch exercises I did.
Legs exercises
Calf and hamstring stretch
Lunge
Outer hamstring stretch
10-second rule
Always track the 10-second rule while stretching any part of your body.
If you can bear it, even though it may be a bit uncomfortable, go ahead and hold the stretch for 45 seconds to a minute. — Joely Franklin, Sports Therapist
Hands and wrists stretch.
Writs and hands are really important to stretch because they are under constant stress while typing or coding.
Study shows that stretching helps to reduce stress injury in the long term. Just do the basic hand stretching, as you can see in the image. Make sure you feel the stretching while extending your arm out.
I love to do wrists-circle exercises to stretch my wrists. It’s the best exercise to improve the flexibility of your wrists.
A good trainer always suggests doing a wrists-circle exercise before any activity, for example, before pushups or squats.
Did I see stretching results after 42 days?
Short answer: YES
- I always felt great after stretching and this is the best part of the 10-minute stretching routine.
- I live a sedentary life on weekdays and definitely observed a huge improvement in my flexibility after stretching each day.
- I felt as if I got more energy, which helped me boost my productivity
- I also saw a significant improvement in my weekend hiking trips in terms of performance.
- Studies show that stretching might help to improve poor posture. I am doing many 30-day challenges, and I think it’s the combination of exercises that helps me to improve my posture.
Tips for a safe stretch
Avoid stretching cold
Develop a stretching routine
Don’t bounce while stretching
Make sure to stretch both sides of the muscle
Stretch gently
The bottom line
If you stretch correctly and regularly, you will find that every movement you make becomes easier. — Bob Anderson
Stretching helps to improve flexibility which can reduce the risk of injury when exercising and makes your life more productive.
The main purpose of these 30-day challenges is to develop healthy, sustainable habits and keep your body injury-free.
I highly recommend taking a regular break to reduce muscle fatigue. Do pushups, stretch, squats, listen to music, etc.
Within 2 weeks, you will see a difference that your body is becoming more flexible. Consistency is the key!
Are you up for a 30-day stretching challenge?
