By now, you’re probably aware that sitting is the new smoking — it’s truly been all over the news lately. Researchers have been busy spreading the word: spending too much time on your keister has all sorts of bad health connotations. The risks range from obesity and diabetes to increased risk of dying of heart attack(1) and maybe even cancer(2).
But what if your main worry is stiffness, bad posture, and a butt that’s… spreading? In that case, you’ll want to adopt a daily routine of stretches and moves to counterbalance the damage that’s being done while sitting. Here are five moves that help stretch your posterior while keeping it perky and fit-looking as well.
1. THE REVERSE SLOUCH
Sitting usually means you’re slouching, so to undo that slouch, a modified backbend is in order. This not only straightens out your back and stretches your abdominal muscles, but it also functions to raise and tighten up your butt.
1. Stand about 12 to 18 inches away from a wall, facing away from the wall
2. Raise your arms up above your head, bending them gently at the elbow with your palms facing the wall
3. Slowly start to lean back toward the wall, as if you are trying to bend into an upside-down U shape
4. Catch yourself with your hands, placing them against the wall (you might need to take a tiny step forward)
5. If you can, walk your hands down the wall to deepen the stretch
2. SQUATS
Your butt needs stretching, that’s for sure. But for all the punishment you give your butt by sitting on it all day long, it deserves some good muscle workout activity as well. Do your butt a favor and introduce regular squat sessions.
First, the stretch. If you’re a baseball fan, imagine a catcher’s stance. They squat low — sometimes so low that their butt almost touches the ground. That’s a great stretching move for you. Just squat and hold it, feeling the wonderful stretch it delivers.
Now, make it active: do squat repetitions. Do 10 sets of 10. Squat low, then stand back up. Don’t lock your knees and don’t bring your knees too far forward over your ankles. Imagine you’re lowering yourself back onto a very short ottoman, pushing your butt out and keeping your upper body straight.
3. LUNGES
This is another active remedy for a squashed-up butt. It strengthens and lengthens your muscles and leaves you with a nice, perky butt.
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Take one foot and step back as far as is comfortable- that’s the lunge
3. Bring your foot back so it’s even with the other foot again
4. Repeat 10 times
5 . Work up to doing 10 sets per evening in front of the TV
4. THE PIRIFORMIS STRETCH
In case you hadn’t heard of the piriformis (don’t worry- we had to look it up, too!), it’s a muscle in your butt that really suffers a lot when you sit too much. It tightens up and withers away so you have to work to stretch it in order to keep it flexible.
1. To stretch your piriformis, start in a seated position (yes, you can counterbalance sitting with a sitting exercise)
2. Cross your right ankle over the top of your left knee. Imagine the way guys sit
3. Now push down gently on your right knee
4. Finally, lean forward to get that piriformis stretched out. You should feel it on your right butt cheek. It will feel great
5. Inhale, then push more on your knee and lean forward even more as you exhale
5. THE BRIDGE TO A BETTER BUTT
Regular gym-goers call this exercise “barbell bridges”. They’re not just good for your glute muscles. They do wonders for your hip muscles, too. And in case you hadn’t noticed, your hips don’t like sitting all day, either.
1. Lay flat on your back with your knees bent
2. Put a barbell or some sort of weight across your hips
3 Raise your hips into the air, forming a “bridge” with your body
4. Squeeze your butt: important!
5 . Lower your hips again to the ground
6 . Repeat 10 times
7. Do at least three sets of 10
PS You can use some weights to make this exercise more effective (see the picture above).
CONCLUSION
Always consult your doctor first, before starting a new exercise. Once cleared, and after you’ve learned these stretches and moves, try increasing your sets after a few weeks. You’ll become more limber and your butt might even begin to look a little perkier!