Office Yoga
Revitalize in minutes
by Ayesha EstradaIf you work seated for prolonged periods of time, you may suffer of back and neck stiffness.
One part of the problem are the chairs we use which don`t give a good support. A good chair is one who has a flat seat that forms an angle of 90º with the back. If you need to correct your chair, try placing a thin pillow on the seat and a firm cushion for the black. Try to seat further back to have support for your lower back. If you still don´t feel comfortable roll a towel and put it at the level of your waist.
The other cause of stiffness, is the body`s alignment. If the back is vertical, the bones and not the muscles are taking the weight. When the hips are giving a good support, the torso remains aligned along it and the head rest over the shoulders. If you feel that you need to recline backward to feel the back of the seat, you are moving your weight off balance, and as a result you do a tremendous effort to keep your eyes looking forward. After some weeks, the muscles of the back and shoulders get stiff and the muscles of the chest get shortened. Do you know how much effort is to keep 5 kilos (11 p.), approximately the head’s weight, out of balance? If you want to feel it take a gallon of water with both hands and place it near your chest and keep it for 10 seconds… Now, extend your arms horizontally and hold it for 10 seconds. And finally, put the container over your head pushing it up. Did you feel the difference?
Now remember for how long you seat in front of a TV or a PC, then you can have an idea of how much time you stay in misaligned positions.
If we were sensitive enough and have good understanding of our bodies and our needs, we would be able to know when to stop and change position or rest. During your office work you can take a break walking to get a glass of water, or for any other reason that make you leave your chair.
If you feel the need to release your muscles I recommend that you try the next exercises to stretch your back and relax your shoulders. The exercises can be done twice a day, or as often as you need, and they take only 5 minutes. Each pose should be held initially for half a minute (8 breaths), gradually increasing to 1 minute. If you have a watch it will be best if you use it, but you can count 12 to16 breaths in the pose.Exercise 1 (Garudasana`s arms)
Standing or seating. Stretch your arms to the sides and take a deep breath, then cross them in front of you at elbow`s level, bend your forearms and intertwine your hand. Move your hands up and forward until the elbows are at shoulder`s level. Keep the position for a few breaths before you change sides.
Exercise 2 (Adhomukha Svanasana on wall)
Stand in front of a wall and place your hands on it at shoulder’s level.
Walk back lowering your chest until your legs come to a vertical line. Let your head sink down between your arms. You can also use the back of a chair to do the same exercise.
Exercise 3 (Marichyasana on chair)
Seated with the back of your chair to one side, take a deep inhalation then holding the back of the chair with your hands turn your shoulders to one side and then turn your head trying to look back as far as you can. Keep the position for a few breaths and change sides.
Exercise 4 (shoulder stretch in Adhomukha Svanasana)
Standing in front of a table or firm shelf, support your elbows on the edge and bring your palms together.
Walk back until your legs are vertical. Letting your chest sink toward the floor, stretch your elbows forward and your hips backward. If you can, try to touch your neck with your thumbs.
After feeling the effects of these movements, keep your attention on your body; feel your back, your shoulders, your legs... and try to sense what else you need to move.
Take care of your body. Walk to the grocery store, take a walk with your dog, maybe a bit of biking, or play with your children. Just enjoy an activity you like EVERY day.
