Strengthen glutes and hamstrings:
Sitting for hours also shortens and tightens the hip flexors. The butt muscles compensate by lengthening, which can lead to dead butt syndrome, where the glutes weaken and struggle to keep the body in proper alignment.
You can strengthen your glutes and hamstrings with a bridge-march stretch. Begin by lying on your back, with your knees bent and your arms by your side. Your feet should be hip-width apart and 10 to 12 inches from your butt. Squeeze your glutes, and lift your hips up into a bridge position. Hold here while you lift your right foot off the ground, bringing your knee toward your chest until your hip is at a 90-degree angle. Lower your right foot to the ground, and repeat on the left. Repeat 10 times, both your left and right feet, keeping the hips lifted throughout.
A runner’s lunge can help lengthen and stretch your hip flexors. From a standing forward fold, bend your knees, take both hands to the floor, and step your right foot back. Drop the right knee, and slide the foot back, lowering your pelvis until you feel a gentle stretch through the front of your thigh. Stay here with your hands framing your foot, or inhale, and lift your torso up. Hold for five to 10 breaths, and repeat on the other leg.
When you massage the bottoms of your feet, you start to loosen connective tissue that runs up the back of your body, including in the calves and hamstrings.
To see how quickly this works, sit on the floor with your legs extended and feet flexed. Exhale, fold forward with a flat back, and walk your fingers forward alongside your legs, as far as you can go. Notice the point where your hands land. Now, forget about your hands, but stay on the floor, and place a tennis ball or something similar under the ball of your foot. Put as much weight on it as you can tolerate, and roll the ball back and forth the length of your foot several times. Repeat with the other foot. When you’ve finished, repeat that forward fold. Where are your hands now?