Why Sitting Could Actually be Your New Best Friend!
Sitting generally gets a pretty bad wrap.. Sitting at your desk all day can be a pretty big contributing factor to that pesky neck or back pain that you have been experiencing. Not to mention that increasing waistline that sitting at a desk all day won't be helping.. Most health professionals might agree that sitting could be classed as the new smoking.
This may be true but as with most things in life it depends on the context. We actually use sitting in a few rehab programs to help clients work on their strength, mobility and muscle activation. Sitting can add more stability, proprioceptive feedback or gives us the ability to exercise harder or easier.
One of the best sitting exercises I have been using with clients recently is the Seated Good Morning. This exercise hands down is one of the best ways to build strength in the posterior chain, mobilize the hips, hamstrings and lower back as well as hitting the medial hamstring and adductors. I have found it really effective with clients who suffer from chronic lower back pain, hamstring troubles, groin or hip impingement and adductor issues. If you have tight hips, trouble hitting depth on squats or find everyone keeps telling you to strengthen your glute, but all the activation and strength work under the sun hasn’t helped, you need to try this:
The aim of the exercise is to eccentrically (load while stretching/lengthening the muscles) load the hamstrings, glutes and lumbar erectors. So this means when performing the Seated Good Morning you should feel as stretch in your adductors, hamstrings, glutes or lower back - it may be different depending on your body
As always technique is king:
Un-rack bar or you can use a broomstick
- Position bar on shoulder blades, shoulders back and in, wrists strong
- Abs braced - keep rib cage down and stacked over hips
- Lean chest forward aiming for down in between knees
- Feel like hips are rolling over - “stick your bottom out”
- Knees push out wide
- From the bottom to the top drive heels into the floor and squeeze your bottom
- Repeat for desired rep range
For rehab depending on the individual we tend to start using a broomstick and then program to an Olympic barbell. Depending on the desired result adding weight as required. A nice goal for most clients would be body weight load on the bar 3x8 reps chest to bench. All reps are strong and controlled. Or pushing the envelope to do this !?!
As always feel free to have a play. If you have any trouble let us know or get in for a session because if there is a problem, it potentially is the cure you have been looking for just in disguise.
This is Bayden. He is our friend. He could be your friend too. He’s been voted the number one Physio in Melbourne 15 years running. With a special interest in foot biomechanics, Flexor hallucis longus, powerlifting and running injuries. You should see him. You can book in here.
