12 ms·

Simple Exercises To Help Undo the Damage of Sitting (2014)

275 points by t23 9y ago

theprop 9y ago
Great suggestions -- the fire hydrant is a great exercise. More simple exercises are one leg squats -- if you use a desk to keep your balance, they're not that difficult to do and a great exercise you can do anywhere. Also, you can drop down and do 5, 10, 20 pushups anywhere. While on the phone you could put it on speakerphone and drop down and try to hold the plank position for the length of the call -- I've seen some Scrum meetings have everyone do the plank (shortens the meeting much more than just standing up). A few more ideas :-D!
- virmundi 9y ago
  I call this Office Calisthenics. It really throws people off. Nothing bad, but they're confused. I've tried to convince some that it's fun. Even did it with a tie on. Didn't get any takers.
  - theprop 9y ago
    Try having a contest or competition. See who can hold the plank the longest or stand on one foot the longest. That makes it fun.
    - jlg23 9y ago
      Or it may make people detest your management style even more. I belong to those who cannot stand being coerced into doing some "fun group activity" (whether in office or in a hotel). And when people want to take care of my health in office, why not start with the obvious: * Don't give me a car - give me a bicycle and tickets for public transport. * Give me a shower in office or a membership in a gym nearby. * Invest in good chairs and tables (yes, yes, you all do - until I arrive with my 190cm and suddenly it's .. "we could place some books under the legs of your table!")
      - chrismeller 9y ago
        Completely agree about detesting the management style. It's not even actually health focused, it's just showing off like you're at a frat house. 190cm isn't that tall, really. (I'm short). Do you normally have trouble with the standard 30-inch (76-ish cm) desk?
        jlg23 9y ago
        It's tall enough that I can neither bend me legs to 90 degrees nor use a regular office chair. While 190cm is not this tall, it's just too tall to fit into most industry norms: Beds, bikes, desk & chairs are all made for "slightly smaller" people. The 3cm my armrests are missing in height are exactly those 3cm that my whole upper body will gravitate down so that my arms can rest. 2h later I have a stiff neck, 8h later a sore back.
- chrismeller 9y ago
  I'm all for the desk excercises and fitness in general, but if anyone ever suggested we all plank during scrum I would immediately quit. It seems like they would also be looking at a massive discrimination suit as soon as they had an employee with any kind of injury, and potentially a lesser one simply because there would be otherwise healthy employees who felt uncomfortable about it.
  - wapz 9y ago
    I really don't think someone just said "hey everyone we're all gonna plan during our SCRUM meeting today." My guess is everyone in the group already participated in some exercises (maybe the group has an "exercise" time when everyone does some basic working out which is optional but everyone has been participating). Then during one of the exercises (with everyone participating), someone throws out "let's all plank tomorrow during our meeting." If anyone just moans or says "nah" they scrub the idea. Once we did a "hike" during our work meeting (this was my last job at a swimming pool so everyone besides the cashiers was very athletic) and everyone loved it.
    - chrismeller 9y ago
      That may be how the idea came up, but it also may not be. No matter how the idea came up they still don't sound like any kind of place I would ever want to work and are still vulnerable to said lawsuits.
- z3t4 9y ago
  its important to hold the posture during the plank or it will have no effect or even the opposit effect. A good goal is 3 to 6 seconds. When you get stronger make it harder by lifting one leg, put the support leg on a ball, and do it sideways.
peterwwillis 9y ago
He's right about taking it easy if you're tight or sore. I've hurt myself from cranking into stretches or exercise without a gradual warm-up. Want more stretch + pace ideas? Do like the Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZJINpzhs8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZJINpzhs8
Vera527 9y ago
Great exercises, but I wonder if anyone is able to do the "leg swing" exercise? How can I do it with only 2 legs? The illustration shows 3 legs.
orschiro 9y ago
Does anyone else work at a standing desk?
- boris 9y ago
  I tried. The problem is standing without moving seems to be just as bad as sitting. As you tire you will start shifting weight to one leg and locking the hips to one side. I then tried a half-reclined chair which was a bit better. Then I switched to a flat hard chair without back support. That was tough initially (more so than standing desk) but seems to be the best option so far. Other than moving, of course.
  - adrianN 9y ago
    Try standing on a balance board at your standing desk. That works really well for me.
    - cies 9y ago
      I stand on a small inflatable pillow (originally for sitting on); 3 bucks, works like a balance board. The desk-treadmill is even more interesting to me, as you can even exercise while working. But at this point a little over my budget, would love to rent one to try for a while :)
      - sanswork 9y ago
        I just bought a used one for $100 and removed the rails and put the controls on my desk behind the keyboard. It was ok at around 3kph. The one I bought was a bit too narrow though so the rails have gone back on and I just use it for us intended purpose now.
        cies 9y ago
        I've read several times that a conventional treadmill will not cut it for walking-desk purposes.
sundvor 9y ago
Nothing fixes my desk-related back issues like being regular at my gym, doing deep squats and deadlifts. When I can't manage my priorities, it's only a question of time before the old back starts complaining.
- tomsthumb 9y ago
  An office job is basically 40+ hours a week of practicing disengagement of the posterior chain (via sitting, likely with poor posture). Deadlifts are such a good treatment.
  - sundvor 9y ago
    Yes. The deadlift is probably the most universally useful exercise, when executed properly. It really is worth the effort to learn. (Closely followed by the squats.)
    - StavrosK 9y ago
      Yes, but it's also quite dangerous, even with proper form. I hurt my back quite badly doing it properly.
      - rfz 9y ago
        You weren't doing it properly.
        StavrosK 9y ago
        Ah, yes, the well-known "no true deadlift" fallacy. No, you can hurt yourself quite effectively even when doing it properly.
        rfz 9y ago
        If you're handling weight you shouldn't be handling, obviously; that's when form breaks. Sorry to hear about your back.
alexval 9y ago
Semi unrelated but I like the art of manliness podcast
Naushad 9y ago
How about using Squat Toilet and do the Grok Squat a part of daily routine than a conscious effort...
- cies 9y ago
  Squatty Potty for the win! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q
Tempest1981 9y ago
I've heard* that the discs in your back cannot repair themselves -- they have no blood flow. So strengthen your "core", because if you squeeze those discs (thru bad posture) year after year, eventually they deteriorate. Then your nerves get pinched, and the pain can be insane. * Not a doctor. Let me know if they self-heal.
- madengr 9y ago
  I did physical therapy for lower back pain & sciatica. I was told the disc do have blood flow, just not much, but they will heal after being squished. It takes months for my back to heal if I screw it up, so maybe that's what's going on.
- lllr_finger 9y ago
  As someone dealing with an extruding disc right now I hope they heal. In all seriousness, my research and speaking with specialists is that bulging or extruding disc do have blood flow and they will eventually reabsorb. Even sequestered discs with no blood flow will reabsorb. The tricky part is dealing with the symptoms while not worsening the issue. Even after an epidural steroid injection, I've been told it could be months before my very large extrusion is gone. So it is a very slow process. The good news is that some research shows that your body can actually be better at absorbing the larger extrusions.
- dahart 9y ago
  They self heal, slowly, as long as they can. In order for them to self heal, they have to stop getting squished at all, for long periods of time. I never knew the importance of core exercise until I squished some discs and experienced pinched nerves. Core exercises build up the muscles around the discs and can help prevent them from getting squished. But you have to also find out which activity is squishing them, and stop that too. Exercise alone won't do it. Pain is the first part of what happens. Pain nerves run along the outside of the spinal column. Motor control nerves run inside the spinal column, so the second part is the pain goes away and your muscles stop working properly. That's the really scary part. Even though the pain can be bad, as long as you feel pain, you're closer to healing than after the pain goes away and you develop a funny walk or can't do pushups anymore.
eevilspock 9y ago
Another front page post compliments this one: Why Walking Helps Us Think (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14235398 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14235398) i.e. Do your thinking while walking, not sitting and hunched over a screen. Your brain and your body will love you for it.
- z3t4 9y ago
  it would be awesome if you could walk and program. back pain can come from static hand posture. and swinging your arms is good for the back. i imagine parks full of programmers that time to time bump into each others because they are in deep focus.
  - wapz 9y ago
    You can jump on a stationary bike when you code! I have my road bike on a trainer in front of my computer (standing desk) and I can code while training. The height is almost perfect because the handlebars go under the keyboard platform (it's still not comfortable though). Most of the time I'm just watching tv shows but I've done some coding while cycling before.
  - icc97 9y ago
    Isn't that the point of the desks with treadmills?
    - z3t4 9y ago
      you cant swing your arms while typing though. im thinking wrist censors for input and vr like helmet or glasses for output.
      - icc97 9y ago
        Or some half decent voice recognition / brain implants when ever they arrive. Not sure you'd want to do this walking around outside though, seems to increase the likelihood of hitting trees.
raamdev 9y ago
One of the most amazing books I've read about simple ways to correct the muscular imbalances that result from too much sitting is Pete Egoscue's Pain Free at Your PC [1]. His other book, Pain Free [2] is also extremely effective and informative. The first part of Pain Free explains how muscular imbalances form and, most insightful to me, how every human body has the same design range of motion (with a few exceptions due to birth defects or disease), that is every human body is designed to have the same range of motion but muscular imbalances formed as the result of specific repeated activities (or lack of activity) impede that design range of motion. All of the exercises in the Egoscue Method require no special equipment, only simple things like a chair or a wall (which further convinced me that it's not a fad out to sell something). Highly recommend reading these books if you're interested in this topic. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Revolutionary-Stopping-Chronic/dp/0553379887 https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Revolutionary-Stopping-Chro... 2. https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Your-PC-Computer/dp/0553380524 https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Your-PC-Computer/dp/0553380...
- tgb 9y ago
  Isn't this obviously false? First, humans weren't designed at all. Second, the range of motion is often determined by bone structure, which no amount of muscle imbalance can affect. Check out squatting positions and how they're affected by the variety of hip joint shapes people have. Like this page: https://squatuniversity.com/2016/03/25/how-hip-anatomy-affects-squat-mechanics/ https://squatuniversity.com/2016/03/25/how-hip-anatomy-affec...
  - muninn_ 9y ago
    For people with back pain, for example, sitting incorrectly or for prolonged periods of time can cause certain muscle to not activate when they're supposed to. I recently went through physical therapy for this in which my range of motion was increased due to flexibility exercises. All humans have a "basic" range of motion, but your effective range of motion can in fact be affected by things such as sitting too much. And you could argue humans were designed by evolution. I don't think the OP meant some alien in a garage sat down and just drew up what humans should be.
icc97 9y ago
There's always yoga [0] [1]. I just do the sun salutation [2] a couple of times a day - takes ~5mins, reduces any back pain I get. [0]: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/20/515675259/got-back-pain-try-yoga-or-massage-before-reaching-for-the-pills http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/20/51567525... [1]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/12/yoga-key-relieving-long-term-back-pain-new-study-suggests/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/12/yoga-key-relie... [2]: http://yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm http://yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm
- specialist 9y ago
  Yoga can be great. Ditto qigong, tai chi, pilates, isometric exercises, physical therapy. I've even done goofy looking breathing exercises that rebalance your diaphragm. I also know that yoga, chiro, gyms hurts people. Gonzo attitude, ignorance, and bad instruction. The trick is to find the therapists and teachers who understand the body, your body, and help you mend. Everyone needs something a little different. Source: I had a lumbar fusion and some other stuff. I've spent a lot of time just remaining functional, managing pain. Advice: By 30, everyone should be hitting the gym. By 40, everyone should get regular PT tune ups; you'll be surprised how much function you (unknowingly) lost. Like now I can stand on one foot and put on the other shoe, two years ago I couldn't do that.
  - mlrtime 9y ago
    Another basic fitness test: Can you put your pants on without sitting down? I know a lot of people couldn't do this without falling or hopping.
    - icc97 9y ago
      You can cheat and lie the pants on the ground ready for you to step into :)
  - seanp2k2 9y ago
    I was also surprised to learn the thing about putting on one shoe by standing on the opposite foot, as that's how I've always put on shoes, and thus never understood the seeming requirement for a bench / chair in an area where shoes come off and go on.
rorykoehler 9y ago
This is exactly what I needed. The couch stretch is a miracle.
ihaveahadron 9y ago
Good maybe now I can not get weird looked at if I exercise with things like leg swings. Having strong arms is good. Having strong everything is a lot fucking better you pansy ass faggots. To state the obvious, which, yes, absolutely, unfortunately, does need to be stated; being an athlete not being an athlete, being ANYTHING not being anything, is irrelevant to the fact that stretching with lifting everything involved with that stuff is equally important to scientists as it is an athlete. This is reality, basic reality. Learn it I guess if you want to delve into intermediate reality.
Fire-Dragon-DoL 9y ago
This is really nice but all these excercises are really heavy on your knees. Are there alternatives?

275 points by t23 9y ago

Great suggestions -- the fire hydrant is a great exercise. More simple exercises are one leg squats -- if you use a desk to keep your balance, they're not that difficult to do and a great exercise you can do anywhere. Also, you can drop down and do 5, 10, 20 pushups anywhere. While on the phone you could put it on speakerphone and drop down and try to hold the plank position for the length of the call -- I've seen some Scrum meetings have everyone do the plank (shortens the meeting much more than just standing up). A few more ideas :-D!

virmundi 9y ago
I call this Office Calisthenics. It really throws people off. Nothing bad, but they're confused. I've tried to convince some that it's fun. Even did it with a tie on. Didn't get any takers.
- theprop 9y ago
  Try having a contest or competition. See who can hold the plank the longest or stand on one foot the longest. That makes it fun.
  - jlg23 9y ago
    Or it may make people detest your management style even more. I belong to those who cannot stand being coerced into doing some "fun group activity" (whether in office or in a hotel). And when people want to take care of my health in office, why not start with the obvious: * Don't give me a car - give me a bicycle and tickets for public transport. * Give me a shower in office or a membership in a gym nearby. * Invest in good chairs and tables (yes, yes, you all do - until I arrive with my 190cm and suddenly it's .. "we could place some books under the legs of your table!")
    - chrismeller 9y ago
      Completely agree about detesting the management style. It's not even actually health focused, it's just showing off like you're at a frat house. 190cm isn't that tall, really. (I'm short). Do you normally have trouble with the standard 30-inch (76-ish cm) desk?
      - jlg23 9y ago
        It's tall enough that I can neither bend me legs to 90 degrees nor use a regular office chair. While 190cm is not this tall, it's just too tall to fit into most industry norms: Beds, bikes, desk & chairs are all made for "slightly smaller" people. The 3cm my armrests are missing in height are exactly those 3cm that my whole upper body will gravitate down so that my arms can rest. 2h later I have a stiff neck, 8h later a sore back.
chrismeller 9y ago
I'm all for the desk excercises and fitness in general, but if anyone ever suggested we all plank during scrum I would immediately quit. It seems like they would also be looking at a massive discrimination suit as soon as they had an employee with any kind of injury, and potentially a lesser one simply because there would be otherwise healthy employees who felt uncomfortable about it.
- wapz 9y ago
  I really don't think someone just said "hey everyone we're all gonna plan during our SCRUM meeting today." My guess is everyone in the group already participated in some exercises (maybe the group has an "exercise" time when everyone does some basic working out which is optional but everyone has been participating). Then during one of the exercises (with everyone participating), someone throws out "let's all plank tomorrow during our meeting." If anyone just moans or says "nah" they scrub the idea. Once we did a "hike" during our work meeting (this was my last job at a swimming pool so everyone besides the cashiers was very athletic) and everyone loved it.
  - chrismeller 9y ago
    That may be how the idea came up, but it also may not be. No matter how the idea came up they still don't sound like any kind of place I would ever want to work and are still vulnerable to said lawsuits.
z3t4 9y ago
its important to hold the posture during the plank or it will have no effect or even the opposit effect. A good goal is 3 to 6 seconds. When you get stronger make it harder by lifting one leg, put the support leg on a ball, and do it sideways.

peterwwillis 9y ago

He's right about taking it easy if you're tight or sore. I've hurt myself from cranking into stretches or exercise without a gradual warm-up. Want more stretch + pace ideas? Do like the Japanese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZJINpzhs8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnZJINpzhs8

Vera527 9y ago

Great exercises, but I wonder if anyone is able to do the "leg swing" exercise? How can I do it with only 2 legs? The illustration shows 3 legs.

orschiro 9y ago

Does anyone else work at a standing desk?

boris 9y ago
I tried. The problem is standing without moving seems to be just as bad as sitting. As you tire you will start shifting weight to one leg and locking the hips to one side. I then tried a half-reclined chair which was a bit better. Then I switched to a flat hard chair without back support. That was tough initially (more so than standing desk) but seems to be the best option so far. Other than moving, of course.
- adrianN 9y ago
  Try standing on a balance board at your standing desk. That works really well for me.
  - cies 9y ago
    I stand on a small inflatable pillow (originally for sitting on); 3 bucks, works like a balance board. The desk-treadmill is even more interesting to me, as you can even exercise while working. But at this point a little over my budget, would love to rent one to try for a while :)
    - sanswork 9y ago
      I just bought a used one for $100 and removed the rails and put the controls on my desk behind the keyboard. It was ok at around 3kph. The one I bought was a bit too narrow though so the rails have gone back on and I just use it for us intended purpose now.
      - cies 9y ago
        I've read several times that a conventional treadmill will not cut it for walking-desk purposes.

sundvor 9y ago

Nothing fixes my desk-related back issues like being regular at my gym, doing deep squats and deadlifts. When I can't manage my priorities, it's only a question of time before the old back starts complaining.

tomsthumb 9y ago
An office job is basically 40+ hours a week of practicing disengagement of the posterior chain (via sitting, likely with poor posture). Deadlifts are such a good treatment.
- sundvor 9y ago
  Yes. The deadlift is probably the most universally useful exercise, when executed properly. It really is worth the effort to learn. (Closely followed by the squats.)
  - StavrosK 9y ago
    Yes, but it's also quite dangerous, even with proper form. I hurt my back quite badly doing it properly.
    - rfz 9y ago
      You weren't doing it properly.
      - StavrosK 9y ago
        Ah, yes, the well-known "no true deadlift" fallacy. No, you can hurt yourself quite effectively even when doing it properly.
        rfz 9y ago
        If you're handling weight you shouldn't be handling, obviously; that's when form breaks. Sorry to hear about your back.

alexval 9y ago

Semi unrelated but I like the art of manliness podcast

Naushad 9y ago

How about using Squat Toilet and do the Grok Squat a part of daily routine than a conscious effort...

cies 9y ago
Squatty Potty for the win! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbYWhdLO43Q

Tempest1981 9y ago

I've heard* that the discs in your back cannot repair themselves -- they have no blood flow. So strengthen your "core", because if you squeeze those discs (thru bad posture) year after year, eventually they deteriorate. Then your nerves get pinched, and the pain can be insane. * Not a doctor. Let me know if they self-heal.

madengr 9y ago
I did physical therapy for lower back pain & sciatica. I was told the disc do have blood flow, just not much, but they will heal after being squished. It takes months for my back to heal if I screw it up, so maybe that's what's going on.
lllr_finger 9y ago
As someone dealing with an extruding disc right now I hope they heal. In all seriousness, my research and speaking with specialists is that bulging or extruding disc do have blood flow and they will eventually reabsorb. Even sequestered discs with no blood flow will reabsorb. The tricky part is dealing with the symptoms while not worsening the issue. Even after an epidural steroid injection, I've been told it could be months before my very large extrusion is gone. So it is a very slow process. The good news is that some research shows that your body can actually be better at absorbing the larger extrusions.
dahart 9y ago
They self heal, slowly, as long as they can. In order for them to self heal, they have to stop getting squished at all, for long periods of time. I never knew the importance of core exercise until I squished some discs and experienced pinched nerves. Core exercises build up the muscles around the discs and can help prevent them from getting squished. But you have to also find out which activity is squishing them, and stop that too. Exercise alone won't do it. Pain is the first part of what happens. Pain nerves run along the outside of the spinal column. Motor control nerves run inside the spinal column, so the second part is the pain goes away and your muscles stop working properly. That's the really scary part. Even though the pain can be bad, as long as you feel pain, you're closer to healing than after the pain goes away and you develop a funny walk or can't do pushups anymore.

eevilspock 9y ago

Another front page post compliments this one: Why Walking Helps Us Think (https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14235398 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14235398) i.e. Do your thinking while walking, not sitting and hunched over a screen. Your brain and your body will love you for it.

z3t4 9y ago
it would be awesome if you could walk and program. back pain can come from static hand posture. and swinging your arms is good for the back. i imagine parks full of programmers that time to time bump into each others because they are in deep focus.
- wapz 9y ago
  You can jump on a stationary bike when you code! I have my road bike on a trainer in front of my computer (standing desk) and I can code while training. The height is almost perfect because the handlebars go under the keyboard platform (it's still not comfortable though). Most of the time I'm just watching tv shows but I've done some coding while cycling before.
- icc97 9y ago
  Isn't that the point of the desks with treadmills?
  - z3t4 9y ago
    you cant swing your arms while typing though. im thinking wrist censors for input and vr like helmet or glasses for output.
    - icc97 9y ago
      Or some half decent voice recognition / brain implants when ever they arrive. Not sure you'd want to do this walking around outside though, seems to increase the likelihood of hitting trees.

raamdev 9y ago

One of the most amazing books I've read about simple ways to correct the muscular imbalances that result from too much sitting is Pete Egoscue's Pain Free at Your PC [1]. His other book, Pain Free [2] is also extremely effective and informative. The first part of Pain Free explains how muscular imbalances form and, most insightful to me, how every human body has the same design range of motion (with a few exceptions due to birth defects or disease), that is every human body is designed to have the same range of motion but muscular imbalances formed as the result of specific repeated activities (or lack of activity) impede that design range of motion. All of the exercises in the Egoscue Method require no special equipment, only simple things like a chair or a wall (which further convinced me that it's not a fad out to sell something). Highly recommend reading these books if you're interested in this topic. 1. https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Revolutionary-Stopping-Chronic/dp/0553379887 https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Revolutionary-Stopping-Chro... 2. https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Your-PC-Computer/dp/0553380524 https://www.amazon.com/Pain-Free-Your-PC-Computer/dp/0553380...

tgb 9y ago
Isn't this obviously false? First, humans weren't designed at all. Second, the range of motion is often determined by bone structure, which no amount of muscle imbalance can affect. Check out squatting positions and how they're affected by the variety of hip joint shapes people have. Like this page: https://squatuniversity.com/2016/03/25/how-hip-anatomy-affects-squat-mechanics/ https://squatuniversity.com/2016/03/25/how-hip-anatomy-affec...
- muninn_ 9y ago
  For people with back pain, for example, sitting incorrectly or for prolonged periods of time can cause certain muscle to not activate when they're supposed to. I recently went through physical therapy for this in which my range of motion was increased due to flexibility exercises. All humans have a "basic" range of motion, but your effective range of motion can in fact be affected by things such as sitting too much. And you could argue humans were designed by evolution. I don't think the OP meant some alien in a garage sat down and just drew up what humans should be.

icc97 9y ago

There's always yoga [0] [1]. I just do the sun salutation [2] a couple of times a day - takes ~5mins, reduces any back pain I get. [0]: http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/20/515675259/got-back-pain-try-yoga-or-massage-before-reaching-for-the-pills http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/02/20/51567525... [1]: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/12/yoga-key-relieving-long-term-back-pain-new-study-suggests/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2017/01/12/yoga-key-relie... [2]: http://yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm http://yogasite.com/sunsalute.htm

specialist 9y ago
Yoga can be great. Ditto qigong, tai chi, pilates, isometric exercises, physical therapy. I've even done goofy looking breathing exercises that rebalance your diaphragm. I also know that yoga, chiro, gyms hurts people. Gonzo attitude, ignorance, and bad instruction. The trick is to find the therapists and teachers who understand the body, your body, and help you mend. Everyone needs something a little different. Source: I had a lumbar fusion and some other stuff. I've spent a lot of time just remaining functional, managing pain. Advice: By 30, everyone should be hitting the gym. By 40, everyone should get regular PT tune ups; you'll be surprised how much function you (unknowingly) lost. Like now I can stand on one foot and put on the other shoe, two years ago I couldn't do that.
- mlrtime 9y ago
  Another basic fitness test: Can you put your pants on without sitting down? I know a lot of people couldn't do this without falling or hopping.
  - icc97 9y ago
    You can cheat and lie the pants on the ground ready for you to step into :)
- seanp2k2 9y ago
  I was also surprised to learn the thing about putting on one shoe by standing on the opposite foot, as that's how I've always put on shoes, and thus never understood the seeming requirement for a bench / chair in an area where shoes come off and go on.

rorykoehler 9y ago

This is exactly what I needed. The couch stretch is a miracle.

ihaveahadron 9y ago

Good maybe now I can not get weird looked at if I exercise with things like leg swings. Having strong arms is good. Having strong everything is a lot fucking better you pansy ass faggots. To state the obvious, which, yes, absolutely, unfortunately, does need to be stated; being an athlete not being an athlete, being ANYTHING not being anything, is irrelevant to the fact that stretching with lifting everything involved with that stuff is equally important to scientists as it is an athlete. This is reality, basic reality. Learn it I guess if you want to delve into intermediate reality.

Fire-Dragon-DoL 9y ago

This is really nice but all these excercises are really heavy on your knees. Are there alternatives?