Trainers Say This Easy Move Will Reverse The Damage Of Sitting All Day

You've heard for years that sitting is the new smoking.

Sitting all day has been linked to a slew of health issues, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It can also mess with your muscles and mobility over time. But if you have a desk job, you're kind of stuck.

Luckily, there is something you can do about it, and it involves a popular weight you’ll find at most gyms. Here’s how to work to undo the impact on your muscles from sitting at a desk all day.

Meet the expert: Taylor Beebe, a certified personal trainer in California.

What does sitting do to your body?

In addition to putting you at risk for those health issues we just mentioned and more, sitting does a number on your muscles and joints.

“When you sit all day, especially if you are in front of a computer screen, we are in hip flexion,” explains Taylor Beebe, a certified personal trainer in California. “This can lead to the feeling of 'tight' hips, especially in the front of our body.”

If you’re hunched over a computer screen, you also raise the risk of your back and shoulders being rounded forward, she says.

“In order to counterbalance that, we need an activity that puts us in a position for a neutral spine and hip extension,” Beebe says.

How to reverse the damage.

Beebe says that kettlebell swings, which are when you swing a kettlebell from between your knees to about eye level, can help.

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“Kettlebell swings are a hip dominant movement that target the posterior chain-glutes, hamstrings, upper, and mid-back,” Beebe says. “When done properly, they teach us to drive our feet through the floor to hit hip extension, in order to find a 'stacked' position where shoulders, hips, knees, ankles, all in line.”

This helps to counteract that folded-up position you sit in all day.

The top of the swing should look like a standing plank, Beebe says.

“When we make sure our entire body is in one long line at the top, we are in full hip extension, which engages our posterior chain, allowing for extension,” she says.

How many reps should I do?

It depends. If you’re new to kettlebell swings, Beebe suggests doing five to 10 reps at a time as a “movement snack” to get some movement into your body and your blood flowing. You can build up your reps from there.

Proper form is important.

If you’ve never done kettlebell swings in the past, it’s important to focus on your form. “Make sure you have a strong deadlift and plank—those are the two foundational movements that make up the kettlebell swing,” Beebe says.

You’ll want to start with the bell in front of you, tilting it towards your body before you hike it back, she says. “Root your feet into the ground as you drive your hips forward, allowing the bell to 'float' at the top.”

She also suggests using your breath to power the movement. “Inhale to pull it back, exhale as your feet push into the floor,” Beebe says.

Whether you have a kettlebell at home or like to hit up your gym after work, adding some swings to the mix after your workday could help keep your joints feeling more comfortable over time.

Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.