5 At Desk Yoga Stretches To Relieve Stress Right From Your Chair

Benefits of Workplace Yoga:

Yoga stretches at your desk are perfect for anybody who spends much time working at a computer. The stress and tension you place on your body throughout the working day is unhealthy. Sitting at a desk for hours on end overstretches the mid to upper back, places unnecessary strain on the spine, and leads to neck, shoulder, and lower back pain.

Below is a list of basic yoga stretching exercises which have been adapted to practice using a chair (a yoga ball also works well), at your desk. These yoga stretches/yoga ball exercises can also be used at home, break out areas, the gym, anywhere a chair or ball is available! These modifications from the classic yoga poses also make yoga accessible to people who lack mobility.

So sneak in a quick yoga break! Take a few minutes to practice some stretching exercises whilst seated.

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Yoga Stretches At Your Desk

Neck Rolls:

1. Come to the edge of your seat
2. Plant both feet on the floor
3. Sit up nice and tall
4. Drop your chin to your chest and begin to nod your head back and forth slowly
5. Drop one ear to the same side shoulder, head back, taking your opposite ear to the opposite shoulder
6. Draw circles with your nose, one way, then the other
7. Loop your shoulders three to five times trying to keep relaxed

 Seated Twist:

1. Sit upright in your chair, both feet slat on the floor
2. Bring your right hand to the outer edge of your left leg and bring your left hand behind you, holding the back of the chair
3. Gently twist
4. Repeat on the other side, aligning your head over your heart and heart over your pelvis

Side Bend:

1. Grab your chair with your left hand and reach your right up and over
2. Feel a gentle stretch on your left side, take your left hand to the right side for a deeper stretch
3. Switch and repeat sides

Seated Cross:

1. Come forward on your chair
2. Cross your left leg over your right leg, to feel more secure wrap your left foot around your right calf
3. Sit up straight
4. Bring your arms forward, crossing your right arm over your left one and bringing your palms to touch
5. Lift your elbows slowly to feel the stretch
6. Repeat with each arm and each leg

Seated Forward Bend:

1. Come to the front of your chair, both feel flat on the floor, sit up straight
2. Hold onto the bottom of the back of your chair
3. Bend, opening up your chest, squeeze your shoulder blades together
4. For a deeper stretch, interlock your fingers behind you and fold forward at the waist, bending forward and bringing your hands over your back

Images courtesy of kidsyogastories.com