Back to office? Try these easy yoga asanas at your desk to relax during long working hours

Exercises for the back, arms, legs and neck
Yoga at your desk
Yoga at your desk

Most people in India are back to working from offices. It definitely seems like we are back to offices like in pre-pandemic times. Long hours, incorrect postures and sedentary lifestyle could cause a lot of issues like back pain, knee pain or a stressed neck. However, there are simple and easy yoga asanas that could help relieve the stress and avoid pain.

Jenil Dholakia, a holistic yoga and well-being coach shares some of these easy exercises that can be done while you are at your desk. She says, "Long sitting hours, bad posture, repetitive stress on the joints, excessive use of electronics and stress at work can really cause a lot of damage to our physical, mental and emotional health."

Jenil Dholakia
Jenil Dholakia

Jenil particularly shares tips for those who are sitting for a long time."One best tip to keep the back pain free is to keep changing your posture. We usually get so absorbed in work that we lose track of time and end up sitting in the same position for a long duration. This leads to putting pressure on the joints and slows down the blood circulation."

Here's a look at the five postures and stretches that can help relieve back pain:

Seated Cat-Cow or Marjariasana: Bring both feet flat on the floor. Place your hands on your knees for support. On an inhale, arch the back and look up toward the ceiling. On the exhale, round the spine and let your chin drop towards the chest. Repeat for three to five times.

Seated Twists or Marichasana: Turn and sit sideways on your chair ensuring that your feet are grounded. Holding the backrest of the chair with both your hands, twist and look in the opposite direction. Stay for a few breaths and repeat on the other side.

Upward Stretch: Stretch both the hands up and join the palms in namaste. With a deep inhale, stretch the hands up giving an upward stretch to your spine. Hold for a few breaths and then release.

Forward bend: Sit on the edge of the chair and place your feet firmly on the floor. On an exhale, do a forward bend allowing your stomach to touch the tights and the hands on the floor. Stay for a few breaths then come up.

Exercises for wrist and fingers:

Jenil explains, "Wrists and fingers are delicate. They bear the brunt of excessive typing and computer usage. It’s very important to stretch andstrengthen them at regular intervals through the day."

Close the fingers to make a tight fist and then release, stretching the palm out. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Keeping your hands loose and vigorously shake them to release tension.

Make a fist with your thumb inside and do wrist rotations first clockwise then anti-clockwise. Repeat 5 to 10 times

Exercises for legs and arms:

Seated Pavanmuktasana: While seated on the chair, lift your right leg up and hug the knee towards the chest. Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the other side.

Pigeon pose: Place the left foot on your right thigh making an L shape which will give a stretch in your outer hip, an area which gets very tight by long sitting. Stay for a few breaths and repeat on the other side.

Heel raises: Stand up and lift your heels up and down for 10 times. You may hold the chair for support and balance.

Seated Crescent stretch: Lift one hand overhead, stretch it up with an inhale and stretch and bend to one side while exhaling. Stay for a few breaths. Release and repeat on the other side.

Exercises for the neck:

Sit straight with your head straight. Then turn the neck to the right and then to the left.

Drop the right ear to the right shoulder, then left ear to the left shoulder.

Bring the nose to the right shoulder and look up while drawing a semicircle and take the nose to the left shoulder. Then reverse it.

Bring the nose to the right shoulder and look down making a U shape draw the nose to the left shoulder, Reverse it.

Repeat each stretch 3-5 times. Do it slowly and mindfully.

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