stretches

Chances are, if you're sitting at a desk, you're hunching. Rounded shoulders and back are symptoms of all those hours spent sitting in a chair. While the long-term solution to the problem is to create an ergonomic desk environment, for immediate relief of tension and strain, take two minutes to do these quick stretches now to realign your shoulders, straighten up, and feel better fast.

Behind-the-Back Stretch

While you do this stretch, focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together to open your shoulders.

• Stand and reach both hands behind you, below your back.
• Hold your left wrist with your right hand and use your right hand to gently pull and straighten your left arm away from you.
• Move your head to your right side to give your neck a stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and switch.

Read on for one more one-minute stretch to do in your office.

While running is a great workout for your lower legs, your quadriceps need extra attention. Here are three reasons why runners should stretch and strengthen the thigh muscles in addition to a normal running routine.

You'll become a better runner: Strong quads help power you up hills and launch you forward as you step, so it's important to work on the muscles.

You'll be less prone to common injuries: Tight quads are often the culprit when it comes to painful runners knee, and weaker quads can lead to strain that requires you to suspend your running practice. That's why it's so important to stretch your quads regularly, and especially after your runs.

You'll experience less fatigue: Every runner's felt it; that "dead-leg" feeling of fatigue, even when you've just started. Strengthening your quads helps remedy heavy legs, while stretching quads keeps them loose and flexible for your runs.

Now that you know why paying special attention to your quads is so important, make sure your cross-training includes strengthening moves and stretches to keep them happy. Here are a few ways to do it:

• Wall squats to strengthen quads
• Five quad stretches for after your workout
• A yoga sequence for tight quads

Long runs, improper form, and hilly terrain can all lead to a strained and pained lower back after a run. Remedy the situation ASAP with these four post-run stretches you can do anywhere to relieve lower-back pain.

Butterfly

• Sit on the floor and bend both knees like you're about to sit cross-legged. Bring your feet together.
• Using your hands, press the bottoms of your feet together while using your elbows to press your knees toward the floor.
• Stay here for five breaths.
• Extend your arms out in front of you to deepen the stretch and stay for a few breaths.

Reclining Twist

• Lie flat on your back. Draw both knees in toward your chest and squeeze them toward you with your arms.
• Inhale and extend your knees straight up in the air (or keep your legs bent for a more beginner-friendly variation).
• As you exhale, open your left arm, gaze to the left side, and drop your legs toward the right. Reach for your thigh, ankle, or foot if your legs are extended. If they are bent, extend your right arm to your side. Look toward your open left hand.
• Hold for at least five breaths before coming back to center and then dropping your legs toward the left while gazing to your right.

If you don't want to lie on the ground, do a seated twist instead. Learn how to do this stretch and one more after the break.

No matter how active you are, everyone can use some relaxing time on the couch. But time spent in front of the TV doesn't have to be spent lying down. Here's how you can incorporate your fitness routine to make the most of couch time.

Roll: An active lifestyle can leave muscles constantly sore and tight. Rolling out knots can help, but it's not always on the agenda after a workout. That's why using a foam roller while you're in front of the TV is a good idea: you'll still be able to relax, all while massaging tired muscles and helping them repair. Watch our video on essential foam rolling moves that help massage your quads, IT bands, inner thighs, butt, and upper back.

Stretch: Much like foam rolling, stretching is an important part of a fitness routine that many people neglect. Enter couch time: you can stretch many joints and muscles without disrupting your TV-viewing enjoyment. This back- and ab-stretching pose, for example, may have you thinking you look ridiculous, but the results are effective. Incorporate some of these stretches for tight hips to further combat the effects of too much sitting.

Exercise: Feeling ambitious? These exercises will help tone a few muscle groups while you watch your favorite program. Using your couch to do tricep dips, for example, helps you target that hard-to-tone upper arm area, while doing the quadruped on your living room floor targets abs and butt. Learn how to do these couch exercises and more here.

No matter how pressed for time you are, you should never skip your post-workout cooldown. Taking a few minutes to stretch muscles helps prevent injury, build muscle, and increase flexibility. Here are four cooldown ideas for your workout.

After a bike ride or Spin class: An hour on your bike or in an indoor cycling class can lead to tight hips and hunched shoulders, not to mention tired leg muscles. Work them all out with cooldown stretches like a basic hamstring stretch, and then move onto your quads. Use a sturdy wall, curb, or tree to help with stretches if you are cooling down after an outdoor bike ride. In class, you can use the stationary bike to help you balance while stretching. Get the rest of the postride stretches here.

After a run: Place emphasis on relieving overworked leg muscles and opening tight hips after a long run; these postrun stretching sequences will make you feel relaxed and rejuvenated after your run. Make sure to focus on the lower back, quads, hip flexors, and hamstrings.

After circuit training: You've squatted, lifted, and planked your way through a sweaty routine, and now you need to show your body some love. This ab and cooldown video workout features cooldown stretches at the end that will relieve your legs, back, and arms. Check out the entire workout, or skip to the cooldown at the 5:54 mark.

For everyone: No matter what your choice of fitness, chances are your workout has contributed to tight hips. And sitting in a chair for hours a day at work doesn't help matters! Use this nine-stretch sequence to cool down after a workout and focus on tight hips and an inflexible midsection.

If you've struggled with IT band issues, I feel your pain. The often-overlooked ailment can come from a variety of exercises or can come from just having a desk job! While working with a foam roller can do wonders, we're also partial to these yoga postures that can really help with your mission as well. Dealing with some IT band issues? Here are four go-to postures to get you started.

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
This mouthful of a pose — you've probably heard it referred to as Pigeon — can help open your hips and hip flexors, but it also offers a bounty of benefits to those tight IT bands. Remember to stay still in Pigeon for an extended period of time (at least 10 breaths) and let it do its magic!

Agnistambhasana
You always tend to hear a lot of deep breaths — and sometimes grunts! — happening when first getting into Agnistambhasana (Double Pigeon)! It's integral to have proper alignment with your legs when they're stacked like logs in order to protect your precious knees.

Keep reading for two more yoga poses to help with tight IT bands.

By now, you've probably heard the news that sitting is deadly. In fact, a new Australian study says that every hour of sitting actually reduces our life expectancy by 21.8 minutes. Besides the worrisome long-term effects, those hours spent in front of your computer can affect your immediate life in the form of aches and pains. Here's how to open up your body and give your chair-weary joints and limbs a good stretch.

Lower-back stretches: Lower-back pain is a common problem among office dwellers, and what we sit on can be to blame. You may be able to do this butterfly stretch (above) on your chair; if not, there's no shame in sitting next to your desk to do it. To do the butterfly, bend both knees and bring your feet together. With your hands, press your feet together, using your elbows to press your knees down toward the floor. This stretch will relax your lower back while opening up tight hips; more lower-back and hip-opening stretches can be found here.

Chest-opening stretches: Hunching over your keyboard can leave you with rounded shoulders and a tight chest. Open up anywhere with this easy standing stretch: Find a corner wall in your office and place one hand on the corner and step forward with the opposite leg until you feel your chest stretch. Hold for 30 seconds and move to the other side of the corner to do your other side. For more chest-opening stretches, try these heart-opening yoga poses, like the seated heart opener below.

Keep reading for more essential office stretches.