Stretch at the office
Let’s be honest, sitting at a desk all day is exhausting! And not great for our posture, circulation or brain function. I do my best thinking after I have moved my body. Below are a few stretches that are the perfect break from sitting at a desk…
Chest Opener - combating the rounded shoulders from sitting at a desk, driving a car, texting, typing, walking -- pretty much anything that pulls our body forward.
No matter how hard we try to sit perfectly, the slump happens to the best of us, so we want to reverse this motion. Find an available conference room or available wall to stand against. Stand with your back against the wall and your feet hip width distance apart and your feet about 1 foot away from the wall. Bring your arms up to a cactus position so the elbows are directly in-line with the shoulders and the wrists are directly above the hands. Try to push your wrists and fingers back into the wall. Pull your front ribs down and pull your belly button back to the spine. Take 5-8 deep breaths here without any movement. This pose is almost ALWAYS hard. To make this a dynamic movement slide your hands up the wall just 5-8 inches and then back to their starting place. Keeping your core engaged the whole time.
Chair exercises: exercises you can do right at your desk and in your chair
Shoulder and arm circles. Roll the shoulders back as you take deep breaths all the way down to your core.
Spinal twist: Plant your feet down on the ground and inhale lift the arms to the ceiling, keeping your shoulders down. On your exhale, bring the left arm to the right knee and reach the right arm back - trying not to hit the armrest. Pause here and take 3-5 breaths. With each inhale get a little taller and each exhale twist deeper. Taking this slow and never forcing your twist. Do the same on the other side.
Neck stretches: To set up for this pose, bring your hands down by the side of the body or for a deeper stretch sit on your hands. Bring the right ear to the right shoulder. Take 5 to 8 deep breaths. Switch sides. Close the eyes for deeper relaxation and focus on the stretch.