Flex Time

Sit Prettier

Sitting all day long weakens your core-muscle strength, even if you have the best of posture, says Kris Kosmas, a certified Pilates instructor with her own Edina studio. “Sitting is so bad for us, because when we flex at the hip, that shortens the hip flexor muscle,” which in turn forces the pelvis to tilt outward or inward. That, in turn, wreaks havoc on the spine, forcing it to curve outward or inward. “A swayback or severe posterior tilt happens more often with men,” Kosmas says. “It’s a slouched position.”

To prevent this, make sure you’re standing up, walking around, and stretching out those muscles frequently. Set a timer at your desk to remind you to move. Or replace your office chair with an exercise ball. Kosmas says that her clients get up more often when sitting on a ball, and can also stretch out their backs by lying across the ball. Balancing on a ball forces all of the core muscles to engage in holding you up.

Know When to Stretch

Contrary to what you might have learned years back, it’s not good to stretch before you engage in your favorite sports. Instead, practice some of the same moves you’ll be doing in the course of the game, like kicking a ball or swinging a bat. Or just walk, run in place, or do jumping jacks—whatever it takes for 10 or 15 minutes to get your blood flowing, says Chris Larson, a surgeon at Orthopaedic Consultants in Eden Prairie.

“Stretching immediately before doing the activity can have a negative impact, because it decreases your strength and increases risk of injury,” he says. Stretching after the activity is fine.