10 Minute Yoga Movements If You Sit At A Desk All Day

10 Minute Yoga Movements If You Sit At A Desk All Day

You probably know the feeling after sitting in an office chair for eight hours every day; your back, neck and shoulders might be killing you. Especially now that we’re mostly working from home, it can be challenging to find a suitable desk and chair to promote good posture. We often sit a bit slumped behind the desk which can cause our body to start aching. While you might have a professional, well-formed chair in the office you normally work in, your desk situation at home will likely be different. We are improving with the furniture we already have, meaning your desk and chair are presumably not properly aligned. To prevent or reduce back pain from sitting at a desk all day, we’ve come up with a ten-minute yoga flow with seven movements that will help you to stretch your body. 

Bad posture from sitting at a desk 

If you’re sitting behind a desk while reading this, be honest, are you sitting up straight? Chances are high you’re either slouching, your back is not placed against the backrest or your shoulders are up far too high. Bad posture cannot only cause temporary pain in your back, neck and shoulders, but it can impact your life greatly if you’re not taking actions to change your posture. Take a moment to relax your shoulders, walk around the living room for a bit and stretch your body. One effective way to do this is by doing a short yoga practice, which will help to make your body feel more relaxed. 

Ten-minute yoga flow during your lunch break

There’s no need to block an hour in your diary to practice yoga, this can easily be done during your lunch break. With this quick ten-minute yoga flow, relaxation of the muscles is promoted which will help with fewer aches and pains. In this blog, we’re going to guide you through seven yoga poses you can do during your lunch break. 

1. Child’s pose

The first pose you’ll want to move into is the child’s pose. Kneel on the ground, let your bum rest on your feet and lay your chest down on the ground with your arms reaching forward. Try to walk your fingers further away from your body to get a better stretch. Hold this pose for approximately one minute. This yoga pose helps to stretch out your shoulders and upper back. 

2. Table top

From the child’s pose, move upwards and place your hands below your shoulders. Make sure your shoulders are directly above your hands and your hips directly above your knees. This helps to bring balance in the body while the entire muscles in the body are equally stretched. Hold this pose for 30 seconds.

3. Cat and cow pose 

From the table top pose, slowly arch your upper back and tuck your chin to your chest to perform the cat pose. After holding that position for approximately 15 seconds, slowly move into cow pose by hollowing your back. Lower your belly and lift your chest and hold this for 15 seconds. Alternate between cat and cow pose for two minutes in total.

4. Downward dog

Next in our yoga flow is the downward dog for which you place your hand and feet on the ground and push your hips up in the air. Bend your knees slightly, but try to push your heels to the ground to get a better stretch. Hold the downward dog pose for 30 seconds.

5. Forward fold

Keep your feet on the ground and slowly move your hands closer towards your feet, creating the forward fold. With a slight bend in your knees, let your belly reach your thighs and lower the top of your head towards the ground. This pose will help to stretch your legs, specifically your hamstrings. Hold the pose for one minute. 

6. Side stretch

Slowly stand up straight again and move your hands over your head. Now, stretch to the side by extending your arm to one side of your body. Repeat this on the other side as well. Switch between sides every fifteen seconds and hold the pose for a total of one minute. You will feel this stretch through your abdominal muscles which helps to relax your core. 

7. Full body stretch

Finally, do a full body stretch by extending both your arms and legs in opposite directions. If you prefer, you can do this stretch while laying down on your back but you can also do this while standing up. Hold this final stretch for one minute and you’re done. 

You have now finished your ten-minute yoga flow which can easily be done during your lunch break. You will return to work with a clear mind and hopefully a pain free body!

Leave a comment

Please note, comments must be approved before they are published

Cart

No more products available for purchase