By Dr Rajeev Rajesh
July 17, 2022 (IANSlife) It should come as no surprise that spending 8-9 hours a day sitting at a desk can be harmful to your health. Sitting at your desk for long periods of time can put a lot of strain and pressure on your lumbar spine, shorten your hips and chest, and overstretch your upper to mid-back, resulting in shoulder, lower back, and neck pain.
However, even if you are unable to attend a yoga class or establish a home routine, there are various yoga poses you can practise at your desk to alleviate such issues and instil a sense of calm and inner peace. A few minutes of daily practise can do wonders for your body and mind. So, here are 10 yoga poses that you can do at your desk.
Chair Pigeon Pose
How to do:
Benefits: This pose stretches the hip flexor muscles and glutes and supports mobility and flexibility.
Desk Chaturanga
How to do:
Benefits: The pose rejuvenates the muscles of the arms and relaxes the neck
Chair Lower Back Stretch
How to do:
Benefits: It reduces tension in the muscles that support the spine and improves overall mobility.
Seated Crescent Moon
How to do:
Benefits: It stretches the sides, lengthens the spine and allows you to return to work with better focus.
Sit and Stand Chair Pose
How to do:
Benefits: This pose can strengthen the hamstring and glute muscles that become weak over time from long periods of sitting.
Yoga Upward Dog
How to do:
Benefits: It lengthens the spine, opens up the chest and improves overall posture.
Finger and Wrist Stretch
How to do:
Benefits: It helps release tension in the tendons and muscles of the fingers and increases blood flow to these areas.
Seated Twist
How to do:
Benefits: It massages the abdomen and lengthens the spine.
Blinking
How to do:
Benefits: This asana lubricates and cleans the eyes by spreading the tears over the eyes' outer surface.
Palming
How to do:
Benefits: The warmth of the hands relaxes the muscles around the eyes and attracts more blood flow.
While a desk job can be taxing on your body, performing these exercises on a regular basis can promote flexibility, increase blood flow, and relax the body's various muscles. So, keep practising and living a healthier, more fulfilling life.
(Dr Rajeev Rajesh, Chief Yoga Officer, Jindal Naturecure Institute)
(This article is website exclusive and cannot be reproduced without the permission of IANSlife)
IANSlife can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in