I confess that I can't touch my toes. I have something called sitting disease. It is a result of sitting at a computer all day and likely compounded by endurance training without an effective stretching routine.

What are the signs of sitting disease? Most notable symptoms are tight hamstrings, lower back and hip flexors, followed by a tight neck, shoulders and chest. I would venture to bet that most Americans suffer from this malady in one form or another.

Another common ailment caused by sitting is piriformis syndrome, commonly known as pain in the butt. In searching for a cure for my pirifomis syndrome, I learned about the dangers of sitting disease and stretches and exercises that I could to do to combat it. I also learned how much this ailment was affecting my sports performance. It was much more than I expected.

One of the things that happens when you sit all day is that your hip flexors become shorter and tighter. Since your hip flexors are the opposing muscles to your butt or gluteus maximus, you cannot activate both muscles at the same time. Tight, overactive hip flexors prevent your gluteus maximus from doing its job, forcing other less effective muscles such as the hamstrings and low back to take over.

If you are a runner or cyclist, this is bad news. A lot of runners and cyclists are unaware that the glute muscle is your power center and that when it functions improperly, it prevents the hips from moving freely, which impedes your stride or pedal stroke.

The good news is that the muscular imbalances from sitting all day can be corrected. There are individual exercises you can do to stretch your hip flexors and improve your hip flexibility. Pilates, specifically using the reformer, helped me redevelop my posterior chain, which includes the group of muscles that run down your lower back, behind your legs and includes most notably your gluteus maximus, hamstrings and core. Pilates has also helped me strengthen my upper and lower back muscles and open up my chest. Improving my posture helped my running form and helped me hold a more aerodynamic position on the bike.

Anyone who has been plagued by injuries this summer or just feels the aches and pains from sitting at a desk all day can benefit from Pilates. The strengthening and lengthening motions of Pilates make me feel better as well as perform better.

Pilates can be performed on a mat and equipment such as a reformer, tower or chair. Most health clubs in the area offer free mat classes as part of your membership. There also are several local studios that provide mat and equipment classes. The small group reformer classes helped me better understand and perform the movements so that I could get more out of the mat classes.

The great thing is that if you can't afford classes or a club membership, there are low-cost videos that can guide you through the majority of the movements. Whatever you do, don't let your chair prevent you from reaching your potential. Work on your backside and you will be a faster, happier athlete next year.