Tension and tightness caused by sitting gets worse the longer you’re in the position. “When we work at a desk or we’re not using our arms or shoulders, our fascia and muscle tissue begin to stiffen and restrict movement around the nerves,” says Christina Lumba, a registered massage therapist and movement expert with Myodetox Clinics. “Our nerves have to move with our tissues too, and when all of the structures around them get tight, the nerves can get tight too, which can cause discomfort in your arms and hands.”
- Christina Lumba, Christina Lumba is a registered massage therapist and movement expert. She works with Myodetox Clinics, which provide hands-on therapy and teaches corrective exercises.
Essentially, inactivity is one of the worst things that you can do to your body, and it can lead to chronic inflammation of the muscles. “Repetitive stress of any kind can lead to inflammation, and this includes inactivity,” says Jeff Brannigan, program director at Stretch*d. To keep your muscles from being contracted all day long, it’s so important to move as often as you can throughout the day.
For your upper-body muscles, Lumba is a big fan of a controlled movement called “wring the towel,” which loosens your your neck, shoulders, and arms at once. “This move not only helps your muscles, but also your fascia and the nerves that run through your neck and into your arms and hands,” she says. Lumba recommends “wringing the towel” every hour of sitting in order to remobilize your upper body.
How to loosen your neck and shoulders with ‘wring the towel’
1. While standing, stretch your arms out to your sides in a ‘T’ position with one palm up, the other palm down. Turn your head to one side.
2. Stretch your arms by rotating your arm down and the other up. At the same time, rotate your head to the other side. Make sure to rotate your arms, shoulder, neck, and head enough to feel a stretch.
3. Note that you may feel some discomfort or sensitivity go down your shoulder, forearm, and into your fingers, but this is okay—just do the move to your tolerance. If it begins to hurt, dial it back.
4. Complete five ‘wrings’ on each side for a total of 10.