
From the bestselling author of OFFICE YOGA comes this accessible guide to mental and physical health that works no matter where you find your desk. Fortunately, a simple yoga practice can combat the harmful effects of sedentary work.Work and life have changed, so it’s time to change how we care for our bodies during work hours. It’s no secret that working at a computer can put a lot of stress on the body and mind. Again, hold for three to five deep breaths. Use the strength of the legs to assist this movement as opposed to sinking into the lower back. Then, keeping the arms straight, lower the hips towards the desk and squeeze the shoulder blades together. The torso should be parallel to the floor. Keeping the feet flat on the floor and hands firmly grounded on the desk in front of you, hinge at the hips until you feel a stretch through the hamstrings, chest, shoulders, and upper back. Step the feet back until the arms are extended straight out and parallel to each other. To achieve this posture, place the hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of a desk. This flow will help open the chest and shoulders, align the spine, and stretch the hamstrings to help restore posture. Working at a desk can be detrimental to posture over time. Hold this pose for five to ten deep breaths and repeat on the other side. To intensify the stretch, twist towards the active hip, placing the hands on the knee to leverage and deepen the posture. Maintain an even distribution of body weight in the sitting bones and sit upright, creating length in the spine. To achieve this posture, which will be done while sitting, cross the ankle over the opposite knee while keeping the grounded foot flat on the floor.

Chair pigeon pose works to open up the hips and create length in the lower spine, helping the body find balance. Prolonged sitting typically results in imbalances in the hips and lower back. Hold the posture for three to five deep breaths. Make sure that the hips are parallel and weight is evenly distributed between the feet flat on the floor. Engage the abdominals and inner thighs while maintaining a long spine and reaching the arms overhead. Bending at the knees and shifting the weight to the heels, sit the hips back and down while simultaneously tilting the torso forward. To achieve this posture, stand with the feet hip-width apart and stand tall. Performing the chair pose can improve blood flow while strengthening the legs, hip flexors, and lower back. Sitting all day tends to lead to underuse of the hamstrings and glutes, two muscles that are vital for healthy posture. Hold the posture for three to five deep breaths and repeat on the other side. Keeping the abdominals engaged, shoulders soft, and hips parallel, lean over to one side, creating as much length as possible within the side body. To achieve this posture, reach the arms overhead, extending the fingers and drawing the thumbs towards the back of the head. Performing the seated crescent moon pose will help to lengthen the spine and relieve the neck and shoulders. When sitting at a work desk, especially over a computer, the shoulders, neck, and side body all tend to slouch and depress. Release and shake out, relieving any residual tension. Then, turn the hand on the desk to have the palm facing up, and gently pull the same hand towards the wrist to counter stretch, holding for another three to five deep breaths. Place a hand on the desk, palms facing down, and use the other hand to gently pull the fingers on the desk up and towards the body, feeling a stretch in the fingers, wrist, and forearm.

Not only is this stretch the simplest form of yoga for the office, but it is highly effective as well. Complete these finger and wrist stretches to improve blood flow and relieve stress in the muscles and tendons. Tension builds up in the fingers and wrists when typing at a computer for extended periods of time during the workday. Share the simple office yoga sequence below, which can be completed in a just few minutes at a desk, to improve employee physical well-being and increase productivity. To relieve the negative impact a work environment may have on employees, companies should incorporate yoga into their wellness program or encourage employees to take the time to reset and relieve tension independently. Unfortunately, this lifestyle has adverse effects on musculoskeletal and mental health. For many office-based employees, a normal day consists of sitting hunched over a computer keyboard.
