Better Balance + Flow

For those of us who work at office jobs and are obliged to sit at a desk, or sit through meetings for the better part of our days, the simple action of being stationary for so long can take a toll on our bodies. You may know that spending most of the day sitting down and hunched over a computer isn’t the best for your health, but what can you do to counteract the damage being done?

First of all, we’d recommend you to get up out of your seat and move around as much as possible during your breaks. Whether that be getting up to drink some water to stay hydrated (adding extra bonus points for you) or having a little walk around the office and stopping to catch up with a colleague, it best to get your muscles and joints moving once an hour or so, to prevent repetitive strain injuries later on. Another minor adjustment you can make is to ensure that you’re sitting properly with your monitor at eye-height so that your posture doesn’t take too much of a hit during the day.

While these tips can help during the day to get things moving, we’ve also put together our favourite asanas that you can do after work to help to counteract any long-term damage and wind down from a busy day:

Downward facing dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

One of the most commonly practiced poses, Downward Facing Dog helps to reduce mild back pain, stretches the backs of the legs, aids in blood circulation, and has the added benefit of strengthening the shoulders and abdominal muscles.

Cobra (Bhujangasana)

This pose is designed to lengthen the spine, opens the chest and helps to counteract any hunching over the desk done during the day. While this may look like simply lifting your chest off of the mat, the intention is the engage the back muscles and pull the heart towards the front edge of the mat. It may also feel good to tuck the chin and roll your head from one ear to the next, allowing for more space in the back of the neck.

Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)

This posture gently opens up your hip and groin, as well as helping to alleviate anxiety. As hips can get stiff from too prolonged sitting, this simple pose can help to loosen them up and allow you to let go and get a little playful. The spine is also supported here, so feel free to gently roll from side to side or shoulders to tailbone, using the floor to massage the back.

Wide-Legged Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

How’s this for a new perspective? Wide legs offer more space for the front of the body to reach towards the mat, allowing your spine to elongate as you hang out here. Blocks are a great tool to bring the floor up to you, rather than forcing your hands to the ground. With a fresh supply of blood flowing back up to the brain, this posture can also reduce symptoms of fatigue.

Cat and Cow (Marjaryasana & Bitilasana)

Another tried and true little sequence, Cat and Cow bring flexibility back to the spine, which can be a great relief after a long day in one position. This can be done from tabletop or in a cross-legged seat, with the aim here being to open up through the chest and counter with a gentle rounding of the spine.

Standing Half Moon (Parsva Urdhva Hastasana )

Bring a little more balance back to the body with this one as you open up through the side body, improving core body strength. Most often, we round forward when leaning to one side to be sure to open the chest up towards the sky to get the full benefits from the pose. Inhale to lengthen and exhale to deepen the stretch a little more.

Low Lunge with a Twist (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana)

Lunges are good for stretching out and strengthening your hip muscles, which in turn help to alleviate any lower back pain. The twist in this posture massages the abdominal muscles, which hold us up all day long. If you find this pose to be challenging, lower your back knee to the mat and use a block under the supporting hand to create more space.

Need a good stretch after a long day? I have a yoga class for you. Check out our weekly schedule HERE and sign up today to get started!