Happy Tuesday!

In the first 10 years of my academic career, I sat for more than 4 hours every day in class.

It got worse in high school. As a programmer, I had to use my laptop for everything.

And, since I was committing myself to 6 - 8 hours of web development training per day, well...

It added up. Especially since I have a poor posture.

You don't feel it when you're young. But your body always keeps score.

And at 22, I'm starting to feel it—especially as pre-menstrual symptoms.

Stretching has helped ease my symptoms

Stretching helps with relaxation and flexibility—important for reducing potential injuries from physical activity.

However, I didn't have the time to do a full yoga routine, so the next-best option was to find short and effective stretching routines to combat prolonged sitting.

🧘‍♂️ The 5-minute full body stretch

After trying several routines, I prefer this 5-minute one from Bowflex.

It helps me target my problematic areas—shoulders, neck, lower back, hips, and upper legs.

(I wasn't sponsored to promote this video)

4 tips for more effective stretching

1. Do it every day, or as consistently as possible.

Like other forms of exercise, the longer the "break" you take from stretching, the longer it takes to get back to your previous form.

• If you fall off the bandwagon, get back to it as soon as possible.
• After a prolonged break, start small(er) to build back up to your previous progress.

2. Find a routine that works for you

The routine I shared works for me because it helps me stretch out my problematic areas.

If you're not sitting for long periods of time, you might have different problematic areas to focus on. So, find a routine that targets your problematic areas.

3. Regulate your breathing

You can use a breathing technique to go with your stretches, or none at all.

Just be conscious of your breath and don't hold it in.

4. Use visualizations

Visualizing your tension "melting away" with each exhale can help enhance the feelings of relaxation.

Why not invest in a setup?

You should definitely invest in a good setup if you can!

While my classes are now online—so I can sit and stand whenever I want—I've put off using a setup because:

• I don't necessarily have a dedicated desk in my university accommodation
• The portable setups I found aren't as comfortable as I'd hoped

So getting up to stretch—and doing it often—works better for me at this point in time :D