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Been Sitting Too Long? Try These 2 Moves

You can do these two mobility exercises at or next to your desk to balance out the effects of sitting.

By Kelly Starrett, DPT, and Juliet Starrett | Experience LifeNovember 29, 2023

Elevated Pigeon

seated pigeon

While sitting in a chair, keeping one foot flat on the floor, bend your other leg and place your ankle on top of your bent knee so that your legs form a “4” shape.
Place your hands on your bent leg, lean forward slightly, and rotate toward your left side, then toward your right side.
Continue alternating between the two positions, rotating left and right, for two minutes or as long as possible.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Kneeling Isometric

kneeling isometric

Kneel on the floor with your right leg at a 90-degree angle and your left knee on the floor behind you. Maintain an upright torso and place your hands on your right knee.
Squeeze the right side of your butt and move your right knee forward as far as you can — it won’t go far with your butt squeezed — and hold the position.
Keep your butt engaged as you breathe — five slow inhales, five slow exhales — for one minute. Make sure you keep the working side of your butt engaged for the entire minute.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Sitting for long periods might be common, but it can undermine your health. Learn more at “The Vital Role Standing — Versus Sitting — Plays in Your Health,” from which this piece was excerpted.

By Kelly Starrett, DPT, and Juliet Starrett

Kelly Starrett, DPT, is a physical therapist and the coauthor of Built to Move, Becoming a Supple Leopard, Ready to Run, and Deskbound. He is also the cofounder of The Ready State, which offers daily guided mobility training and other resources to help athletes stay pain-free. Juliet Starrett is the coauthor of Built to Move and Deskbound, and cofounder and CEO of The Ready State.