MASTER CLASS

MASTER CLASS: Clam Shell exercise is a good one for desk jockeys

For the Clam Shell, Paisley Sowell begins in this position and, with her heels touching, raises and lowers her top knee. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY)
For the Clam Shell, Paisley Sowell begins in this position and, with her heels touching, raises and lowers her top knee. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/CELIA STOREY)

There's a mountain of research linking a sedentary lifestyle with an increased risk for obesity, cardiovascular disease and many other negative health implications. And while a sedentary life is basically defined as a lack of movement in general, there are specific musculoskeletal problems related to remaining seated for long periods.

In most cases, a life doesn't bog down into sedentary status overnight. It's a slow process that is nudged along by work and family obligations, less time to exercise, and changing priorities. It's the unintentional outcome of millions of small, daily decisions, none of which look important enough to be likely to lead to elevated health risk, weight gain or musculoskeletal imbalances.

For those of us working desk jobs, a certain amount of sitting comes with the territory. We use the computer, sit in meetings, make phone calls using phones that are tethered to one spot. Unless you're incredibly diligent, prolonged sitting will occur. The question is, what do we do about it? How can we limit the negative health impact of our desk jobs?

The answer is twofold. First, accept that daily exercise is a must.

Performing a moderate-intensity cardiovascular activity for 30 to 60 minutes on most if not all days of the week is recommended.

That will help protect our heart and circulation but isn't always enough to support an ache-free body. Prolonged sitting changes our muscular and joint balance in the back, neck, hips, shoulders and legs. It causes the shortening and tightening of certain muscle groups while adding pressure to specific joints.

The second key is to work on the musculoskeletal problems caused by sitting. Stretching the hamstrings and chest muscles is a good start, along with strengthening muscle groups around the hips and lower back.

This week's exercise helps strengthen one of the key muscles that grows weak during prolonged sitting — gluteus medius. This is not the big gluteal muscle that we do our sitting upon, the gluteus maximus. It's a fan of muscle on the outside of the hip that links the top of the femur to the illium. The Clam Shell is appropriate for all fitness levels and requires no equipment whatsoever.

1. Lie on your right side on an exercise mat with your feet stacked on top of each other. Your knees should be bent at 90 degrees and you should place your right forearm under your head for support.

2. Move your left knee away from the right knee by abducting it upward, without allowing your feet to lose contact with each other.

3. As you reach the end of your range of motion, slowly lower the left knee back down until it almost touches the right.

4. Continue performing these slow, controlled abductions for 10 repetitions, then switch sides and repeat.

5. Perform two or three sets per side.

The Clam Shell is such an easy movement that there's really no reason not to include it in one's daily routine. It only takes a couple of minutes, and the benefits to people with desk jobs are plentiful.

If there's one key to performing this correctly, however, it's maintaining a slow, controlled pace with each repetition. As with many exercises, the tendency is to speed up as fatigue begins to set in. Try to resist that urge and maintain the same cadence from the beginning of the set to the end. Your glutes will thank you. Enjoy!

Matt Parrott has a doctorate in education (sport studies) and a master's in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.

vballtop@aol.com

Style on 01/14/2019

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