Sitting or even standing for prolonged periods can stifle circulation and lead to edema and spider veins. Varicose veins and swollen ankles are no strangers to office workers. Revitalize tired legs and boost circulation Press the front of your right hip forward to release your right hip flexors. Keep your core activated for balance and avoid arching your lower back. Inhale as you lift your right arm up and over your head. Bend your front knee to align above your ankle, keeping your back leg straight. Drop your back heel and point your toes out slightly. Place your left hand lightly on top of your chair or desk, step your right foot back into a short lunge. Releases overactive hip flexors and elongates compressed side waist muscles while activating deep core muscles for balance. Everyone can give gravity-stricken sitting muscles attention with simple standing yoga stretches, such as Warrior One. Savvy desk jockeys can employ an “active” sitting option in place of their regular office chair by using a stability ball or a chair ergonomically designed for active sitting. It’s no wonder sitting makes us feel so stiff. When we sit inactively, gravity takes its toll, compressing side waist muscles, inhibiting deep core muscles and feeding into hip flexor tension. Attend to gravity-stricken sitting muscles Place your right foot on your left thigh above your knee in a figure-four position.Įxhale as you sit back as deeply as you can without discomfort. Opens the hip joint and deeply stretches glute (buttock) muscles.īracing yourself by holding your chair or desk, shift your weight to your left leg. When you stand, it’s a good idea to stretch the muscles you’ve been sitting on by practicing a hip opener. Set a timer on your computer to prompt you. To combat the adverse health effects of prolonged sitting, most health care professionals recommend getting up every 20 or 30 minutes for at least two minutes. Get off your butt and give your body a break Open your eyes and notice your profound change in perspective.Ģ. Once you’ve established a comfortable breathing rhythm, count your breaths backwards from 10 to one. Try breathing long and deep at the following pace: 5-count inhale, 7-count exhale. Tune out distractions, focusing all of your attention on expanding your lower ribs on inhalation and contracting them on exhalation. Take conscious control of your breathing, emphasizing your first few exhales, like sighs of relief. Relax your jaw, resting your lips in a slight smile. Rest your hands on the tops of your legs with your palms up. Establish good posture by exhaling as you drop your ribcage down in front and your shoulder blades down in back. Sit comfortably with both feet on the floor. Lowers blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormone production improves concentration, memory and ability to multitask. It can be done in the midst of a busy office in as little as two minutes and still have a profound impact. It’s a common misperception that meditation is a long, complicated practice in a quiet environment.

If you combine diaphragmatic breathing with meditation, you can also mitigate your stress response, lowering blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol (stress hormone) production. One study, from the University of Washington, even showed an increase in the ability to multitask. Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness meditation, merely focusing on something in the present moment, like your breath, has a positive impact on the parts of our brain associated with attention monitoring and working memory. Train your brain and breathing to work for you Here are five techniques most anyone can do right at their desk:ġ. You can easily integrate yoga into your workday in subtle ways that deliver big benefits – without freaking out your co-workers or requiring pretzel-like flexibility. To reap the rewards of office yoga, you don’t need to sacrifice your lunch hour for class, stand on your head in the break room, or chant “OM” loudly at your desk. Related: Sitting will kill you, even if you exercise As such, they’re wising up to the benefits of yoga in the workplace.

Thankfully, more companies are not only recognizing the health dangers of prolonged sitting, but also the negative impact on productivity and morale.

Even if you aren’t an office worker, if your career demands long bouts of desk sitting, you can relate to symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety, poor posture, back pain and lower-body lethargy.

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