This Underrated Move Helps Undo the Damage of Sitting at a Desk All Day, Trainer Says
If your body could talk to you, it would probably beg you to stretch—especially if you sit all day for work. Trainer Dan Go says there's one stretch that should be mandatory for anyone who sits all day: the glute bridge hold.
"Your glutes should be one of the strongest muscles in your body," Go says. "But due to desk jobs and long periods of sitting ,they get weaker. This puts more pressure on the lower back to support the body, causing low back pain."
Reports have stated that roughly 86 percent of Americans work desk jobs, which means the majority of us are spending most of the day seated, likely weakening our glutes in the process.
"When you sit for hours on end you put pressure on your glute muscles. This keeps them in a lengthened position and tightens the hip flexors making the glutes less likely to fire properly," he says.If you want to try the stretch yourself, a set of 12 to 15 reps before or after sitting down can be enough to wake up your glutes so they stay activated.
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, then squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold that position for 20 to 60 seconds before lowering back down.
Another helpful cue that Go adds: Focus on your butt muscles squeezing at the top of the movement.
"Remember that humans were not meant to sit at a desk for 8 hours a day. This exercise will help reverse the effects. You might even feel some relief in your low back as a result of doing it," he says.This Underrated Move Helps Undo the Damage of Sitting at a Desk All Day, Trainer Says first appeared on Men's Fitness on Jul 2, 2025
This story was originally reported by Men's Fitness on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
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