How to Stretch at Your Desk: Yoga while you work

Last month we took a look at the effects that sitting for long periods of time can have on the body. I shared a simple yoga sequence to help alleviate some of the pain points many people experience from repeatedly sitting at a desk all day. I’ve taken this a step further and have put together some yoga stretches for you to do at your desk!

Most of us already know that movement is essential to our health. And we’re painfully aware that the majority of us are not currently getting enough movement in any given day. But why does the body need to move?

First, moving the body is essential to keeping it limber. What does your body feel like after you’ve been sitting for too long? Do certain areas start to feel numb? Does your body feel stiff as you stand up and start to move? Professor, James Levine reminds us that “humans were designed to walk.” In fact, we’ve been walking for over 7 million years. Which means that we’re just scratching the surface when it comes to understanding how sitting is detrimental to our health. When we sit for a long period of time, we start to cut off blood flow to certain areas of the body and frequent movement helps get the blood flowing properly and efficiently.

Think about what happens to your spine as you sit at your desk; the rounding, hunching, and compression of the spine. Our spine is designed to move in a variety of ways, and sitting at a desk all day doesn’t allow for this movement to happen. According to this article in the Huffington Post, “the average healthy person’s back will take a beating from this low-energy lifestyle, leading to increased pain, stiffness and long-term problems.” If you were to pause right now and take a snapshot of your posture, what does it look like? Are there any adjustments you can make, right now?

We’ve all experienced the “brain fog” that sets in when we’ve been sitting and pouring over a spreadsheet, contract, or other data. Getting up and moving is also good for the brain. Choosing to get up and move will allow your eyes to take a rest, your laser-like attention to shift to something else for a few moments, and will get your blood flowing. When more blood flows to the brain, we increase the amount of oxygen, which helps us think in a more focused way. Livestrong shares that the fastest way to get a dose of oxygen for your brain is to take a walk.

Here are some stretches that you can do at your desk. Be creative and use what you’ve got! Chairs, desks, and even walls can all be great props and help support your office stretch session.

Side Bend

This is a great way to move the spine in a lateral direction.

• Stand with your feet inner hip-distance apart; stack your hips over your knees and ankles. Be sure that your hips are square (level, left to right).
• Reach your right arm up overhead and then reach your arm towards the left.
• You might find that after a few breaths, you are able to go deeper in the stretch.
• Hold for 5 cycles of breath.
• Repeat on the other side.

Backbend

This stretch will help to open the chest and front body; it is also a great pose to help counter balance the effects of computer work.

• Stand with your feet inner hip-distance apart; stack your hips over your ankles and knees.
• Place your hands on the backs of your hips, like you were placing your hands into pant pockets.
• Draw your inner elbows and shoulder blades together.
• Tuck your chin towards your throat.
• Keep your low back long (there is a tendency to compress the low back and we want to avoid this) and start to lift your chest towards the sky.
• As your chest lifts, start to move it towards the space behind you (I like to think of an imaginary string lifting the centre of my chest up towards the sky.).
• Let your gaze travel towards the space behind you as you draw the sides of your throat back to keep the back of your neck long.
• Hold for 5 cycles of breath.
• Slowly lift up out of the pose.

Forward Fold

This stretch will help the spine to decompress; great to do after sitting.

• Be careful with this pose if you have high blood pressure. You will want to rise up slowly so that you don’t get light-headed.
• Stand with your feet inner hip-distance apart; stack your hips over your ankles and knees.
• Bend your knees and fold over your legs.
• Your fingers can come to the floor or you can bend your elbows and bring opposite hands to them.
• You can stay still or it might feel good to gently sway from side to side.
• Hold for 5 cycles of breath.

Hip Stretch

This pose is a great way to stretch out the hips, which are often sore from sitting.

• Come closer to the edge of your set. Sit up tall, with your back away from the seat, and with your feet on the floor. 
• Lift your left leg up away from the floor.
• Externally rotate your left thigh bone at the hip (think of playing hackeysack and as your knee moves away from your midline, the inner part of your foot turns up towards the sky).
• Place your left foot onto your right thigh. You can take a hold of your ankle and help get it to your thigh (no worries!).
• This could be all the stretch you need. If so, hold here and breathe.
• If you need more, take your left hand to your left thigh or shin and gently press down, or start to bring your chest towards your thighs, which will deepen the stretch.
• Hold for 5 cycles of breath.
• Switch to the other side with your right ankle on your left thigh.
• Hold for an equal amount of time on this side.

Seated Twist

Twists are naturally detoxifying and feel good to do after sitting for awhile.

• Sit up tall, closer to the edge of your seat (away from the back of the chair), with your feet on the floor.
• Take your right hand to your left thigh.
• Place your left hand on the seat of the chair and close to your left hip.
• Inhale and grow taller through your spine (think of your head reaching up closer towards the sky) and exhale to take a twist to the left. 
• Be sure to keep your sitting bones evenly rooted into your seat; your hips should remain level, with your body moving/twisting around your spine.
• You can take your gaze over your left shoulder.
• Hold for 5 cycles of breath.
• Return to centre and repeat on the other side.

Neck Stretch

This stretch will help alleviate tension in the neck as well as soothe neck strain.

• Sit up tall, closer to the edge of your seat (away from the back of the chair), with your feet on the floor.
• Take your right hand to the left side of your head.
• Draw your right ear to your right shoulder, until you feel a stretch through the left side of your neck.
• You can stay here or if you need more of a stretch, place your left hand by your side and flex your wrist.
• Hold for 5 cycles of breath.
• Use your right hand to gently return your head to centre and repeat on the other side.

Finger Stretch

A simple and effective way to move and stretch the fingers.

• Sit up tall, closer to the edge of your seat (away from the back of the chair), with your feet on the floor.
• Reach your left arm out in front of you.
• With your right fingers, draw each one of your left fingers towards you. Hold for a few seconds, and then move on to the next, until each finger has had a good stretch.
• Repeat on the other side.

Don’t be afraid to get creative! Have a favourite exercise that you normally do at the gym or in your weekly fitness class? Can you find a way to modify it and bring it in to your daily stretch routine? Remember to get up and move and stretch throughout the day; your body will thank you for it!