Updated December 16, 2014.
It's great to do a yoga routine before or after work, but what about incorporating yoga stretches into the rest of your day? This is especially important for people whose jobs require them to sit at a desk in front of a computer for long hours, resulting in back pain and repetitive stress injuries. Just taking a few minutes to do stretches at your desk can relieve stress, increase productivity, and most importantly, make you feel better.
Take your shoes off before starting these stretches if you are wearing high heels.
Close your eyes.
Let your chin drop down to your chest.
Begin to circle your neck slowly, taking the right ear to the right shoulder, the head back, and then the left ear to the left shoulder.
Try to keep the shoulders relaxed and not to hurry through areas of tightness.
Take 3-5 rolls and then switch directions and take another 3-5 rolls.
Bring both feet flat on the floor.
Bring your hands onto your knees.
On an inhale, arch the back and look up toward the ceiling.
On the exhale, round the spine and let your head drop forward.
Repeat for 3-5 breaths.
Adapted from Cat - Cow Stretch.
Push your chair back from your desk.
Bring both feet flat on the floor.
Interlace your fingers behind your back.
Straighten your arms, drawing the interlaced fingers down.
Fold at the waist, bringing your interlaced hands over your back.
Rest your chest on your thighs and release your neck.
Adapted from Standing Forward Bend.
Take your arms out to either side, parallel to the floor.
Bring the arms forward, crossing the right arm over the left and bringing the palms to touch.
Lift the elbows while keeping the shoulders sliding down your back.
Repeat with the left arm over the right.
Adapted from Eagle Pose.
Turn so you are sitting sideways in your chair.
Bring both feet flat on the floor.
Twist towards the back of the chair, holding the back with both hands.
Turn the chair the other way and repeat.
Adapted from Half Lord of the Fishes Pose.
Stand up.
Turn your hands so that the wrists face your computer and the fingers face the edge of the desk.
Lean in to the wrists and flatten your palms as much as possible.
Back off if you feel pain.
Stand up.
Bring the left knee up and the left shin onto your desk parallel to the edge of the desk.
Take a forward bend over your left leg, bending from the waist.
Repeat on the other leg.
Adapted from Pigeon Pose.
It's great to do a yoga routine before or after work, but what about incorporating yoga stretches into the rest of your day? This is especially important for people whose jobs require them to sit at a desk in front of a computer for long hours, resulting in back pain and repetitive stress injuries. Just taking a few minutes to do stretches at your desk can relieve stress, increase productivity, and most importantly, make you feel better.
1. Neck Rolls
Take your shoes off before starting these stretches if you are wearing high heels.
Close your eyes.
Let your chin drop down to your chest.
Begin to circle your neck slowly, taking the right ear to the right shoulder, the head back, and then the left ear to the left shoulder.
Try to keep the shoulders relaxed and not to hurry through areas of tightness.
Take 3-5 rolls and then switch directions and take another 3-5 rolls.
2. Cat-Cow Stretch
Bring both feet flat on the floor.
Bring your hands onto your knees.
On an inhale, arch the back and look up toward the ceiling.
On the exhale, round the spine and let your head drop forward.
Repeat for 3-5 breaths.
Adapted from Cat - Cow Stretch.
3. Seated Forward Bend
Push your chair back from your desk.
Bring both feet flat on the floor.
Interlace your fingers behind your back.
Straighten your arms, drawing the interlaced fingers down.
Fold at the waist, bringing your interlaced hands over your back.
Rest your chest on your thighs and release your neck.
Adapted from Standing Forward Bend.
4. Eagle Arms
Take your arms out to either side, parallel to the floor.
Bring the arms forward, crossing the right arm over the left and bringing the palms to touch.
Lift the elbows while keeping the shoulders sliding down your back.
Repeat with the left arm over the right.
Adapted from Eagle Pose.
5. Seated Spinal Twist
Turn so you are sitting sideways in your chair.
Bring both feet flat on the floor.
Twist towards the back of the chair, holding the back with both hands.
Turn the chair the other way and repeat.
Adapted from Half Lord of the Fishes Pose.
6. Wrist Stretch
Stand up.
Turn your hands so that the wrists face your computer and the fingers face the edge of the desk.
Lean in to the wrists and flatten your palms as much as possible.
Back off if you feel pain.
7. Standing Pigeon
Stand up.
Bring the left knee up and the left shin onto your desk parallel to the edge of the desk.
Take a forward bend over your left leg, bending from the waist.
Repeat on the other leg.
Adapted from Pigeon Pose.
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