

Exhale as you take hold of your left wrist with your right hand. Inhale and stretch your arms out to the sides and then over your head with your palms facing each other. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and parallel. It will also help relieve lower back tightness. This is a great stretch to relieve computer-related tension in your wrists and to stretch your sides. Relieve tension in your wrists, back, and shoulders at your desk.
#Office yoga icon full#
See also 14-Minute Stress-Reducing Office Yoga for Type A’sĬertified Viniyoga and Anusara-inspired teacher Sienna Smith is a registered yoga therapist and the owner of Yoga Mountain Studio in Fairfax, California.Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, & nutrition courses, when you Hold for 6 to 8 breaths and repeat on the other side. Inhale and lift your left arm up, stretching your entire left side. Place your hands on your front thigh and breathe evenly into your torso while moving the shoulders and head back. Firm your legs, tone your belly, and lengthen the tailbone.
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How to Sit: Sideways on a chair with your right knee bent to a 90-degree angle and your left leg extended straight behind you. Because the body is partially supported by the chair, you don’t need to exert as much energy to stay balanced in the pose, so you can focus on the stretch itself. What It Does: Stretches tight hips and leg muscles. Stretch Your Hips and Legs: Chair Warrior Hold for 2 breaths, keeping your belly firm to support your low back while breathing deeply into your neck and shoulders. Exhale lift the chin slightly and soften your jaw. Move your hands away from your back, draw the shoulders and head back, and enjoy the stretch across the collarbones. Inhale and slowly stretch your arms straight. How to: While standing, clasp your hands behind your back or hold on to a scarf or belt behind your back with your palms facing forward. What It Does: Helps reduce neck and shoulder pain by encouraging proper alignment of the upper arm bones, shoulders, and head. Relax Your Neck and Shoulders: Standing Shoulder Opener Move your left shoulder back, open your chest, and breathe into your left side for 4 to 6 breaths. Inhale, lengthen your spine, and sidebend to the right. Exhale, engage your abdominal muscles, and move your tailbone down. Inhale as you lift your left arm up by your ear. How to: While standing, hold on to the back of the chair with your right hand. What It Does: Lengthens the torso while opening the chest, rib cage, and shoulders. Progressively deepen the twist over 8 to 10 breaths and then repeat on the other side. Exhale slowly turn the shoulders to the right, looking over your right shoulder. Twist to the right and hold the back of the seat with your left hand. Firm your legs and belly to stabilize your lower back. Press your knee against the back of the chair. How to: Place your right foot on the seat of a chair. What It Does: Wrings out tension in the deep muscles of the spine. This sequence is short enough to do in-between meetings.

Try this quick office yoga sequence throughout the day to keep your body healthy. See also The Office Yoga Sequence to Restore and Rejuvenate A Quick Office Yoga Sequence So, get up and out of your chair-your body will thank you. You’ll find a quick sequence on these pages and great “office yoga” video instruction at /officeyoga. What’s the solution? Stand up, stretch, and breathe deeply at least once every 50 minutes. Chronically poor posture can also lead to neck and back pain, repetitive stress injuries, and even bulging disks and sciatica. Eventually that can lead to problems, including changes in our metabolism, decreased circulation in the legs, and compression in the spine and pelvis, which places extra pressure on the connective tissue and nerves. When we’re deskbound, the body has to hold a fixed, unnatural position for a long time. Some 80 percent of American jobs are sedentary, according to a study conducted earlier this year by the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, which conducts studies on physical activity, obesity, and aging.īut our bodies aren’t designed to hold a position for eight or more hours a day-they’re made to dance, twist, jump, and run. Let’s face it: We’re a desk-potato nation. Utilize these four yoga poses to jump start your work day and incorporate yoga for the office.

Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, & nutrition courses, when you
