Endless stamina, increased concentration, and restful sleep…
When your neck and shoulders are relaxed, everything changes!

The perfect prescription to completely solve office workers' worries.

Stretching and massage designed by a professor at Tokyo Medical University
Say goodbye to the constant stiffness and pain in one breath!

My shoulders are stiff and it's hard to sit at my desk, I'm tired no matter how much I sleep, my mind is unstable and I'm always listless, my concentration and memory are getting worse...
Any office worker who sits at a desk all day will have these concerns.
Rubbing my stiff neck and patting my shoulders only provides temporary relief, and my fatigue doesn't go away.
Many office workers suffer from chronic shoulder stiffness and pain, but few recognize it as a serious enough problem to require hospitalization.
Most people consider these symptoms as a type of occupational disease and take them lightly.
However, the consequences we face when we neglect stiffness in our shoulders and neck are by no means light.
This familiar pain that plagues us can escalate into a problem that threatens our health, our daily lives, and even our happiness in life.

"The Book for People Who Sit for Long Hours" introduces simple methods that will completely solve the problems that everyone in the modern world has, such as chronic fatigue, headaches, back pain, and turtle neck.
The author of this book, Kenji Endo, is a professor of orthopedic surgery at Tokyo Medical School. He has personally experienced how difficult life can be for him to live with shoulder stiffness and back pain.
And by adding his own experience to his medical knowledge, he created an exercise method that anyone can easily follow.
The solution he proposes is so simple.
But the effect is surprisingly certain.
No special tools or large spaces are required.
You can do this right now, right at your desk, in just 5 minutes.
You can take your hands off the keyboard for a moment and do the 'shoulder blade separation stretch', do the 'pelvic pendulum exercise' while going to the bathroom, and do the 'magpie toe exercise' during your lunch break.
Then, you will feel your heavily pressed shoulders become lighter and your stiff pelvis become more flexible.
If you make these three exercises a habit, your body will regain its lost balance, and your disturbed mind will gradually become more at ease.

This book is not just a simple exercise guide.
It clearly explains, based on medical principles, why prolonged sitting makes the body sick, how stiffness occurs, and where pain comes from.
Because fundamental recovery is possible only when the mechanism of the knot is understood.
It also includes the correct massage method for each painful area and habits that can be easily practiced in daily life.
The author says:
Being free from knots and the pain they cause can transform our bodies, minds, and even our lives.
They say that when your body becomes lighter, your mind also becomes lighter.
So, let's pick up this book now.
It will be a powerful prescription to heal your tired body and mind.

If we neglect pain or stiffness, the balance of our autonomic nervous system, which controls our body and mind, is disrupted.
If it gets worse, it can lead to mental illnesses such as autonomic nervous system dysfunction and depression.
When you become anxious, it doesn't just end with a decline in work performance.
It comes down to a question of whether or not you can continue working at the company.
--- From "Entering"

As I will explain in detail in the main text, an office worker's day is very inappropriate by human design standards.
From this perspective, office work is a very difficult job.
However, if you use the methods in this book to eliminate stiffness and pain, your mind and body will be in balance, and you will be able to live each day with a positive and energetic spirit.
--- From "Entering"

The fact that your shoulders, neck, and lower back are stiff and sore means that you are constantly experiencing muscle pain in those areas.
If this condition persists, it also affects the brain, which continues to feel pain.
The brain secretes serotonin, a hormone that protects against the effects of pain-inducing substances (Substance P), but this secretion of serotonin is reduced.
--- From the "Prologue"

Many cases of autonomic nervous system imbalance due to stiffness and pain lead to physical and mental disorders, but few people seek treatment that can resolve the cause.
This is exactly the problem.
Even if you receive treatment tailored to each symptom, if the fundamental cause is stiffness or pain, the balance of the autonomic nervous system will not be restored unless the root cause is addressed.
--- From the "Prologue"

The stiffness and pain itself may be bearable unless the condition is too severe.
In reality, most people live by enduring moderately.
Sometimes there are no significant symptoms.
However, if you simply tolerate and ignore symptoms such as decreased concentration, autonomic nervous system imbalance, insomnia, and headaches, you will face dire consequences.
--- From the "Prologue"

If you maintain the same posture, your muscles do not move.
When your muscles aren't moving, it means the pump that keeps your blood flowing has stopped.
Not only that, but the muscles that are not moving become increasingly rigid and begin to compress the blood vessels.
Naturally, blood circulation also worsens.
Then, the enzymes and nutrients needed for the muscles are not delivered.
The bigger problem is that the fatigue substances that need to be pushed out through the blood circulation just keep accumulating.
When fatigue substances accumulate, fatigue is the first thing you feel.
Fatigue soon turns into discomfort such as stiffness or pain.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Way Office Workers Work Causes Pain and Stiffness"

Even those with good posture should pay attention to the immobility of office workers.
The best way to prevent stiffness and pain is to maintain good posture.
Hunching your shoulders will worsen shoulder stiffness, and sitting with your ischial bones collapsed will strain your lower back.
So, if you just have good posture, will all your problems be solved? No.
No matter how good your posture is, if you continue to maintain the same posture, immobility will occur.
The muscles are stiffening.
So even if you have good posture, it's important to get into the habit of moving regularly.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Way Office Workers Work Causes Pain and Stiffness"

Office work can easily cause stiffness and pain not only because of the sedentary habits but also because of the stress that comes with it.
Stress is unavoidable when you're working.
What happens when you're stressed? The sympathetic nervous system, which has been mentioned several times in this book, becomes activated.
That is, the mind and body enter a state of tension.
Muscles become tense and stiff easily, and blood circulation also worsens.
As the sympathetic nervous system becomes more active, sensitivity to stiffness and pain also increases.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Way Office Workers Work Causes Pain and Stiffness"

Office work already puts a strain on the body, but recently, lifestyle habits have emerged that make pain even worse, even when you're not sitting at your desk.
It's a smartphone.
Sitting at a desk all day is already putting a strain on your shoulders and neck, but looking at your smartphone while commuting to and from work or during breaks often makes shoulder stiffness and neck pain worse.
--- From "Chapter 1: The Way Office Workers Work Causes Pain and Stiffness"

When we think of massage, we usually think of an image of muscles being kneaded and relaxed.
It is to gently loosen up the stiff muscles by applying force from the outside.
But actually, if you massage the tight muscles too hard, it will have the opposite effect.
It is a medical consensus that applying strong force to muscles can worsen stiffness and pain and make them chronic.
--- From Chapter 2, “Let’s improve your condition with the right massage method!”

The massage recommended in this book is completely different from the massage that kneads and relaxes muscles.
It is a method of flushing out fatigue substances accumulated in the muscles along the muscle fibers.
The 'flowing massage' I'm going to introduce is a method of stroking the affected area strongly in a certain direction with your fingers together.
At the same time, it also acts to press out excess water from swollen muscles.
--- From Chapter 2, “Let’s improve your condition with the right massage method!”

Fascia is a soft, water-containing tissue that acts as a lubricant when muscles move.
However, if there is too much water, that is, swelling, it can actually hinder muscle movement.
As a result, the entire muscle begins to bunch up.
Recent studies have shown that fascia is closely related to stiffness and pain, and that when fascia is swollen, it becomes more sensitive to stiffness and pain.
Painful stiffness and pain occur when the fascia swells and muscles become difficult to move. At the same time, the swollen fascia makes the muscles more sensitive to stiffness and pain, which worsens the symptoms.
--- From Chapter 2, “Let’s improve your condition with the right massage method!”

The cause of the stiffness and pain is poor blood circulation due to immobilization.
So, if we move our muscles and improve blood circulation, the stiffness and pain will improve, right? In other words, moving our muscles can improve stiffness and pain.
One thing to keep in mind is that you must clearly understand 'which muscles you need to move' and then exercise consciously.
--- From Chapter 3, "Let's solve stiffness and pain in an instant!"

One more important thing to remember is that your muscles need to generate heat.
As muscle temperature increases, blood circulation improves.
So how can we determine if our muscle temperature has increased? It's simple.
If you start to sweat, it means your muscles are generating enough heat.
Sweating means your blood is flowing actively.
--- From Chapter 3, "Let's solve stiffness and pain in an instant!"

Scapular release stretches help to loosen up the muscles by moving the shoulder blades, improving blood circulation and flushing out accumulated fatigue toxins from the muscles.
This increases muscle glide and improves shoulder blade movement.
--- From Chapter 3, "Let's solve stiffness and pain in an instant!"

If the shoulder blade separation stretch was an exercise to release the shoulder blades, the pelvic pendulum exercise can be seen as an exercise to return freedom to the pelvis.
There are several things in common between the shoulder blade and the pelvis.
Just as the shoulder blades allow the arms (front legs in animals) to move freely, the pelvis allows the legs (back legs) to move freely.
--- From Chapter 3, "Let's solve stiffness and pain in an instant!"

Please be sure to practice shoulder blade release stretching, which loosens the muscles around the shoulder blades, and pelvic pendulum exercises, which loosen the muscles around the pelvis, as they are more effective for each area.
If you add the 'magpie leg exercise' to these two exercises, you can expect even greater results.
Once you try it, you'll know that it feels incredibly refreshing because you're using your whole body.
Because the movements are not that big, you can do it anytime, anywhere, and it is not difficult, so anyone can follow along right away.
--- From Chapter 3, "Let's solve stiffness and pain in an instant!"

The first movement to be introduced is ‘sit-up’.
As mentioned earlier, immobilization for more than 15 minutes reduces the blood volume in the veins.
When you work while sitting in a chair, try to sit upright every 15 minutes.
This is to change your posture from 'sacrum sitting' to 'buttocks sitting'.
--- From "Chapter 4: The Most Effective! 6 Performance-boosting Habits You Can Implement at Work"

Even if you change your position every 15 minutes, it is still not good to work while sitting for a long time.
If possible, get up and move around once every 30 minutes.
It would be the icing on the cake if you could also do exercises like shoulder blade separation stretches here.
If you have to sit for long periods of time at work, try changing your sitting posture.
I recommend sitting with your legs wide apart.
--- From "Chapter 4: The Most Effective! 6 Performance-boosting Habits You Can Implement at Work"

The human arm weighs about 10 percent of the body's weight combined.
Remember in Chapter 1 how the muscles around the head and shoulders work hard to support the weight of the head? Similarly, the muscles work hard to support the weight of the arms.
This includes the muscles around the shoulder, such as the trapezius and levator scapulae, which are the muscles that cause shoulder stiffness.
This means that being freed from the burden of supporting the weight of your arms will improve the stiffness and pain around your shoulders.
So what should we do? Instead of supporting the weight of our arms with our muscles, let the desk we're working at support us.
--- From "Chapter 4: The Most Effective! 6 Performance-boosting Habits You Can Implement at Work"

Are you worried about getting glares from those around you if you're always moving around? If you can increase your chances of getting up and walking around, prevent immobility, and relieve stiffness and pain, your work performance will definitely improve.
If you do your job well, no one will say anything.
--- From "Chapter 4: The Most Effective! 6 Performance-boosting Habits You Can Implement at Work"

If you have to use a chair with a backrest, try not to lean against it as much as possible while working.
Sitting slightly forward of the chair will allow you to sit with your pelvis upright and your buttocks resting on your spine.
Let's try to be 'self-reliant' without leaning on the backrest.
I recommend checking to make sure you're not unconsciously leaning against the backrest every time you sit down.
--- From Chapter 5, “Let’s Change Our Lifestyle Habits a Little!”

Office work involves long hours of sitting in a chair.
After working hours, I spend a lot of time sleeping.
Everyone would agree that sleep is essential for relieving physical and mental fatigue.
However, you need to be careful because even when you sleep, you are likely to experience immobilization to a similar degree as when you work.
--- From Chapter 5, “Let’s Change Our Lifestyle Habits a Little!”

Fascia is a flexible, water-rich tissue that acts like a lubricant to allow muscles to move freely.
If the flow of water stagnates and the fascia swells, it will interfere with muscle movement.
Also, lack of moisture in the fascia is a problem.
Because if there is a lack of moisture, it cannot faithfully perform its role as a lubricant.
Also, if dehydration occurs, blood circulation will also worsen.
This is also a cause of stiffness and pain.
Therefore, it is important to develop the habit of drinking enough water.
Let's be careful to drink plenty of water.
About 2 liters a day is the appropriate amount.

--- From Chapter 5, “Let’s Change Our Lifestyle Habits a Little!”

One type of person who has difficulty stabilizing their autonomic nervous system is someone who 'lives too hard'.
No matter how stressed he is, he tries hard to do his best, and because he is stressed, he tries even harder to solve the cause of the stress.
There are also issues, such as work-related problems, that must be resolved immediately by any means necessary.
In times like these, you have to make an effort.
However, if you can borrow the strength of others, you should try to reduce your own burden as much as possible.

--- From Chapter 5, “Let’s Change Our Lifestyle Habits a Little!”