Anyone who works at a desk all day knows how useful small movements may be for his or her body. But sometimes, small little movements aren’t quite enough. Desk yoga poses are sufficiently small that they may be practiced at your desk, but large enough to create full body movement that helps release tension.

And all of us understand how much tension can construct up quickly once we’re hunched over a desk all day long watching a pc screen.

But, luckily, there are easy desk yoga poses that can assist to alleviate all of that.
 

 
 

Try These 8 Desk Yoga Poses the Next Time Your Body Is Aching at Work:

You don’t need any props apart from your work desk and chair to search out deep relief with these eight poses.
 

1. Chair Pose (Utkatasana)

Once we passively sit in a chair all day, the muscles in our legs can go dormant. So Chair Pose is a fierce desk yoga pose to quickly get blood flowing to the legs.

Let’s try it:

• Start seated in your desk chair along with your feet flat on the ground roughly hip-distance apart
• Activate your core by three-dimensionally hugging your navel in and up
• Lengthen your spine – press your sitting bones into the chair and stretch the crown of your head to the ceiling
• Draw your hands to your hips
• Root firmly into your feet and lift your seat to hover just above your desk chair in order that your hips are suspended within the air and also you’re using your leg and core strength to stay upright
• Hold for a number of deep breaths after which slowly release your hips back all the way down to the actual chair beneath you
• Repeat a number of times until your feel your legs fully “awaken”

 
If You Have a Desk Job, Your Body Will Thank You For These 5 Desk Yoga Poses
 

2. Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana)

Excessive sitting can often result in a plethora of issues, including low back pain. So in the event you’ve been sitting for too long and your lower back is aching, this gentle forward fold may help to decompress it.

Let’s try it:

• Start seated in your desk chair along with your feet flat on the ground roughly hip-distance apart
• Gently fold the burden of your torso forward and down over your legs
• Release the burden of your upper body down with gravity and permit your head and neck to completely chill out
• Visualize sending your breath into your lower back
• Hold here for so long as you’d like – you possibly can at all times pretend you’re reaching for something you dropped on the ground!

 

3. Seated Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

A few of the very best desk yoga poses are twists because they quickly and discreetly bring a lot of hydration to the spine.

Pro tip: For those who’re wearing heels, it is advisable to slip them off for this pose!

Let’s try it:

• Start seated in your desk chair along with your feet flat on the ground roughly hip-distance apart
• Lift your right foot off the ground and place it onto the seat of your chair
• Cross your right foot over your left thigh
• Take your right arm toward the back of your chair
• Hug your right shin along with your left hand
• On an inhale, elongate your spine
• As you exhale, spiral your whole torso toward the precise
• Breathe deeply into this twist for a number of deep breaths
• Release and switch sides

 

 
 

4. Standing Supported Halfway Lift (Ardha Uttanasana)

This desk yoga pose may not be as discreet as a few of the others, however it feels ohhhh so good after sitting for a very long time and well price it! This pose feels so good on your spine and can help lengthen it as you furthermore may expand through your chest (great on your posture after sitting for long periods of time).

Let’s try it:

• Come to face behind of your desk chair
• Place your hands on the back of your chair roughly shoulder-width apart
• Root down into your feet and your palms as you draw the information of your shoulder blades toward one another
• Expand your heart forward and thru between your arms
• Choice to walk your feet further away from the chair for a deeper stretch
• Hold for a number of long, deep breaths

 
Ever Tried Yoga At Work? Boost Productivity With These 7 Chair Yoga Poses
 

5. Standing Supported Plank (Phalankasana)

One other not-so-discreet desk pose (that’s well price it), this invigorating variation of Plank helps to bring blood flow to your whole skeletal muscles that is perhaps stagnant from sitting at your desk all day.

Let’s try it:

• Come to face in front of your desk chair
• Place your hands on the back of your chair roughly shoulder-width apart
• Root down into your palms and brace your core
• Slowly walk your feet away out of your chair until you’re in a standing Plank shape
• Rise to the balls of your feet and press down through your heels
• Hold for a number of deep breaths
• For those who actually need to energise yourself, choice to bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the desk for a number of desk push-ups!

 

6. Cow Face Pose Arm Stretch (Gomukhasana)

This delicious arm and hip stretch is the proper pose to release the aches that come from sitting all day. Pro tip: You could wish to lose your shoes for this pose.

Let’s try it:

• Start seated in your desk chair along with your feet flat on the ground roughly hip-distance apart
• Cross your right leg over your left
• Elongate your spine and stretch your right arm toward the ceiling
• Bend your right elbow and slide your hand down your back
• Reach your left arm behind your back and up your spine
• Choice to hold your shirt, your ponytail, a pen, or interlace your fingers behind your back
• Press your head and upper back into your arms behind you
• Hold for a number of deep breaths after which switch sides

 

7. Seated Figure 4 (Eka Pada Utkatasana)

Once we passively sit in a chair all day, our hips take the brunt of the damage, which can lead to stiff, tense hips and eventually turn into hip pain. That’s why a seated figure 4 stretch could also be your recent favorite desk yoga pose!

Let’s try it:

• Start seated in your chair along with your feet flat on the ground hip-distance apart
• Lift your right knee and set your right ankle on top of your left thigh, keeping your right foot flexed to guard your knee joint
• Option to softly press right hand on the inside your right knee to deepen the stretch
• Lengthen your spine – press your sitting bones into the chair and keep your heart lifted (don’t round your spine)
• Hold for a number of deep breaths after which slowly release your right foot back to the ground
• Repeat on side two

 

8. Neck and Wrist Circles

Although not technically yoga poses, these gentle mobilization exercises are magic for sore wrists and necks after an extended day at work.

Let’s try it:

• Start seated in your desk chair along with your feet flat on the ground roughly hip-distance apart
• Elongate your spine by rooting your sit bones into the chair and stretching the crown of your head to the sky
• Gently release your right ear toward your right shoulder
• Roll your neck toward your chin after which to your left shoulder and back around
• Proceed circling as repeatedly as you’d like. For those who want, switch the direction of your circles
• Do the identical circular motions along with your wrists, rolling them in a clockwise after which counterclockwise direction

 
 

When You Need a Break at Work, Use These Desk Yoga Poses for Big Relief

Your yoga practice doesn’t should be big or elaborate to be effective. You may really goal all major areas of your body right out of your desk at work.

And in the event you consistently practice just a bit of little bit of yoga on daily basis at your desk, your body will very likely thanks down the road.
 
 

Have to Undo the Desk?

Join Ashton August to Undo the Desk on this relaxing 36-minute practice on YA Classes by YouAligned.

Yoga Class

With Ashton August

All Levels

0——0—————February 10, 2023