Let’s face it: work can be stressful sometimes. Add that on top of sitting at a desk all day, and you have a recipe for stiff muscles that are begging to be stretched. This past January, I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training program. I could go on and on about the benefits of yoga: increased flexibility, decreased stress levels, increased muscle tone and so on, but I’ll save that for another day. However, you may be thinking, “How does yoga relate to a marketing blog?” Let me explain.
How many times during your 9-5 job do you move in an hour? Not a lot, right? It’s easy to get caught up in emails, media pitches and social media posts and before you know it, it's noon and you haven’t stood up for 3 hours. If this sounds like you- keep reading!
What better way to combat excessive sitting for long periods of time? You guessed it: yoga! Doing the following easy moves at your desk will keep your muscles happy and will probably help your mood throughout your day!
Gentle Twist: What better way to keep your spine happy then with a nice, gentle twist. Use your chair to help you get into the pose. With each inhale, lengthen your spine and with each exhale, see if you can’t twist just a little bit deeper!
Backbend: Inhale your arms up high, clasping the hands together and interlacing the fingers if possible. This is a great counter-pose for the hunched back we tend to deal with when typing at the computer all day. Keep breathing!
Forward Fold: This can be done seated or standing- whichever you prefer. Either way, fold forward over your legs and let your head and neck hang heavy. Feel free to rock from side to side if that feels nice! Also, if you’re standing, but find your hamstrings are tight, go ahead and bend your knees as much as you need to!
Supported Headstand (Bonus Pose): Please note that you MAY get funny looks from your co-workers when you randomly break into a headstand at the wall. But, if you can get past the stares, the benefits to this pose are certainly worth it.
So, there you have it! Five simple yoga poses you can do throughout the work day to help make you feel great!
Namaste.
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