These yoga poses can help undo some of the damage that all of that sitting has done to your body.
Millions
of us spend our days sitting at a desk, then head home to sit some more in
front of the TV. All of that sitting is harming our
health. We can control some of that by making an effort to get up
and move, but if your nine to five has you seated at a desk, your options are
limited.
If you do
have a desk job, you can see if your company offers a standing desk. You can
also try replacing your desk chair with a yoga ball. Those are some great ways
to improve your working situation, but what about the damage that years at a
desk have done to your back, neck, and legs? These yoga poses can help you
bounce back!
1. Cat and Cow Pose
This is
actually a pair of poses that you flow between. They help warm up the muscles
in your back and help counteract some of the stiffness that comes with sitting
at a desk. Check out the video above showing you how to flow between cat and
cow pose.
2. Spinal Twist
There are
many spinal twist variations in yoga. This is a modified twist designed just
for folks sitting at a desk. You can undo some of sitting’s damage while you’re
sitting at work! It only takes a few minutes to sneak in a quick twist during
your work day.
3. Sun Salutation
Sun
salutation is a staple in yoga practice. This is a series of poses that’s great
for waking up that spine and countering those hours hunched over the keyboard.
Sun salutation has tons of variations. The video above is a very bare bones
version aimed at beginners.
4. Locust Pose
Sitting
all day teaches the muscles in our back to hunch forward. Postures like locust
counter that action by engaging the back muscles in a different way. Backward
bending like this is perfect for countering sitting’s effects on your neck and
back.
5. Upward Bow
Not only
does backward bending in upward bow strengthen your back and stretch those
tight chest muscles, it can help relieve some of the pain associated with
carpal tunnel. If you have moderate to severe carpal tunnel, definitely check
with your doctor before incorporating upward bow into your routine.
6. Side Angle Pose
Side
angle helps stretch the muscles along the sides of your trunk that become
shortened when you’re sitting all day. You stretch to either side,
strengthening your back and improving your balance.
7. Wide Legged Forward Bend
8. Downward Dog
This may be my favorite yoga pose ever. It stretches the legs and feet, strengthens the back, and just plain feels great. Downward dog looks simple, but getting the proper alignment can be a little bit tricky. The video above goes into detail about how to properly practice downward dog.
9. Tree Stand
Tree pose helps improve balance and strengthen the legs and spine. Balance poses like this can be tricky at first, but don’t let that get you down! If you fall out of tree pose, just ease back in. That’s why they call it practicing yoga!
10. Warrior I
There are three warrior poses, and they’re all great for countering the effects of sitting. I like Warrior I because it combines balance work with a twist and a back bend. It’s really the whole package!
Go here for a series of videos on how to do each of these poses:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-yoga-poses-to-undo-all-of-that-sitting.html
I am getting tired just thinking about it!
See ya, eh!
Bob
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