Table of contents:
- 1. Side Stretch
- 2. Shoulder Stretch
- 3. Neck Stretch
- 4. Thigh Stretch
- 5. Seated Pidgeon
- 6. Chair Cat-Cow Stretch
- 7. Chair Raised Hands Pose
- 8. Seated Twist
- 9. Wrist Release
- 10. Chair Eagle
It's no longer news if sitting for long is not good for your health. Moreover, coupled with long hours of staring at computer screens during a day of work, many of us complain of back pain and neck muscle pain due to sitting posture when typing which tends to bend over or office chairs that do not support posture.
The habit of moving infrequently not only physically damages your body, it will also affect you mentally and psychologically. Slouching and stooping down makes you feel weak, which lowers your confidence, energy, and mood. As a result? The level of work productivity is not optimal.
So, instead of the prestige of enduring aches and pains while in the office, try the following 10 yoga poses for body stretches that you can do between piles of work. Not only does it free your body from tension, your mind will also be refreshed and energized, making it easier for you to stay focused on your work
1. Side Stretch
Stand with your feet together and your hands at your sides. Balance your weight on your legs. Inhale, stretch your back and raise your hands straight above your head. Clasp the right wrist with your left hand. Keep your shoulders and hips in line as you tilt your body to the left. Gently pull with your left hand to stretch the right side of your body. Keep your chin lifted and parallel to the floor. Hold this yoga pose for three breaths, then swap sides.
This pose helps create leverage from your pelvis to your shoulders and neck, thereby stretching the spine and extending the range of motion on both sides of the body.
This movement can help you stay upright and look tall when you sit down.
2. Shoulder Stretch
Stand with your legs extended parallel to your hips, and position your toes straight forward. Hook your fingers behind your back. While you inhale, straighten your legs, stretch your upper body, and pull your shoulders back. Squeeze your hands and keep them straight behind your back. Exhale and slowly bend forward. Keep stretching your back. Raise your shoulders and pull your upper back.
This stretching position serves to straighten and open your hunched shoulders and back
3. Neck Stretch
Stand with your legs extended parallel to your hips, and position your toes straight forward. Place your feet firmly on the floor, placing your weight on your heels and instep evenly. Hook your fingers behind your back with one hand reaching from above, while the other reaches from below. Inhale, stretching your back so that your shoulders are parallel to the base of your neck and parallel to the width of your back. Slowly, tilt your head to the left. Relax your jaw and gaze. Hold this stretch for a count of three breaths, and change positions.
This stretch pose is an efficient way to relieve tension in the neck and shoulders.
4. Thigh Stretch
Stand facing the table with your legs straight forward, your arms at your sides touching your thighs. Put your weight on your right leg and lift your left leg towards your back. Grasp the tip of your left foot with your left hand, and slide your left foot towards your right side. Kick your left leg outward, straighten the sole of the foot and stretch the toes back. Hold this stretch for a count of three breaths, and change positions.
This stretching pose is useful for opening your thighs and relieving back pain. When you sit down, your thighs extend outward. This position will crease your hips inward and shrink your lower back. When you open your thighs, you return the leg back to the hip joint. This stretch is essential for building healthy lift for your back.
5. Seated Pidgeon
Seated Pidgeon (source: livewell.com)
Position: sit on the chair
Sit on the edge of the chair. Place your feet firmly on the floor. Lift your right calf and place it on top of your left thigh while flexing your right leg. Press your left hand into the sole of your right foot, while also applying constant pressure to your right leg to counteract the pressure of your left hand to continue flexing your leg. Pull your inner thighs back and create a stretch in your hips and lower back. Stretch your spine and take a deep breath. Repeat for the other side.
This stretching pose will open your hips as well as relieve aches in your lower back and hips. When you open your hips, you "reset" your hips back into their original joints for a more stable lift in your lower back. This pose helps create a healthy sitting posture.
6. Chair Cat-Cow Stretch
Chair Cat-Cow Stretch (source: livewell.com)
Position: sit on the chair
Sit in a chair with your spine extended and your feet steady on the floor. Place your hands on your knees or on your thighs. Take a breath while arching your back outwards and lowering your shoulders towards your back, so that your shoulder blades are tucked into your back. As you exhale, arch your back in (in a bent position) and drop your chin toward your chest, so that your shoulders and head are in the direction of your body. Perform these two positions alternately for a count of five inhales.
This stretching pose is beneficial for the socket of your hip joint because your sitting bones are constantly moving back and forth in the spine, to bring the focus of movement to that socket, which can become stiff from sitting too long.
7. Chair Raised Hands Pose
Chair Raised Hands Stretch (source: livewell.com)
Position: sit on the chair
Sit in a chair with your spine extended and your feet steady on the floor. On an inhalation, raise your hands straight to the ceiling of the roof. Loosen your shoulder blades into your back as you reach up with the tips of your fingers. Focus your weight on the sitting bone and make an upward reach in your hand. Hold the movement for a count of three breaths, and repeat a few times.
Alternative pose: sit with your spine straight while taking a deep breath. As you exhale, relax your gaze towards the top and bend your body (upper back and chest) back slightly. Hold the pose for a few seconds, bring your hands down to your sides, and repeat from the beginning a few times.
These stretching poses help improve your overall posture and stretch your back.
8. Seated Twist
Seated Twist (source: livewell.com)
Position: sit on the chair
Sit in a chair with your spine extended and your feet steady on the floor. Take an inhale and on an exhale, rotate your upper body to the opposite side (for example, turn your left torso to the right) from the end of your spine, grasping the armrests of the chair. Take a few breaths for a few moments, then roll back to the other side.
This stretching pose helps relieve tension on the back caused by slouching and sitting for too long, as well as helping the body's digestive system smoothen.
9. Wrist Release
Wrist Release (source: womenfitness.net)
Position: sit on the chair
Use your left hand to press the tips of your right fingers down for a few seconds, bending your wrist in the opposite direction by pressing your fingers inward. Then switch positions with the left hand pressing the back of the right hand. Hold it for a few seconds, then swap it with the other hand.
To really release any tension in your arms, position your arms like a cactus and shake your wrists quickly from side to side, and up and down.
10. Chair Eagle
Chair Eagle (source: livewell.com)
Position: sit on the chair
Sit in a chair with your spine extended and your feet steady on the floor. Cross your right thigh over your left thigh. If you can, wrap your right leg around the left calf. Cross your left arm over your right arm, directly on the support of the inner elbow. Bend your elbows and make your palms touch each other. Raise your elbows while lowering your shoulders away from your ears. Hold for 3-5 breaths count. Switch arms and legs, and repeat the count.
This pose opens the shoulder joints, creating a space between the scapula. In addition, Chair Eagle pose is also useful for increasing blood circulation to every joint of the body, improving digestion and secretion, and strengthening arms, legs, cutouts, and wrists. This pose also focuses on stretching the upper and lower body evenly at the same time. The more you relax the muscles with each exhalation, the more optimal the stretching effect will be.
