[Fitness Friday]: Improve Your Health & Get in the Best Shape of Your Life with 4 Simple Yoga Moves You Can Do at Your Desk
"For those wounded by civilization, yoga is the most healing salve." - T. Guillemets
Yoga, for reasons beyond my comprehension, gets the tag of an 'exotic' form of exercise reserved for hippies and vegans who wish to spend hours contorting their bodies into various postures. Anybody who's ever taken a yoga class however knows that the contortions and spine-twisting asanas are just the tip of the iceberg. Yoga is a holistic practice involving your mind, body and spirit which produces several benefits such as improved health, toned physique, increased mental well-being, etc.
However not everyone has the time to attend a yoga session or practice yoga in their own homes. That doesn't mean that they have to miss out the various benefits of yoga. These 4 simple poses can be done easily at your work station without the help of a yoga mat.
1. Modified Gomukhasana
Why: To release the tension in those tight shoulder muscles
Step 1: Sit upright in your chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground and chin parallel to the floor. Make sure you leave some space between yourself and the back of your chair to give you enough room to move your hands.
Step 2: Raise your right hand above your head, ensuring that the arm is not bent and that there is some space between your ears and arm.
Step 3: Bend your right hand at the elbow and flatten the palm of right hand against your left shoulder / upper left-side of your back.
Credits: Alex Beauchesne
Step 4: Bend your left arm towards the back and grasp the fingers of your right hand firmly with your left hand. Hold the pose for 20 seconds to 1 minute before switching sides.
#Flexibility Hack: Some people may not be able to clasp hands behind their back on one or both sides. In this case, they can hold a scarf or rope in the hand on top (in step 2) and hold onto the end of the scarf/rope with their hand below(in step 4). They can improve their flexibility by slowly moving the lower hand up the scarf / rope to move closer to the upper hand.
2. Modified Agnisthambasana
Why: To engage your sciatic muscles and lengthen your spine
Step 1: Sit upright in your chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground and chin parallel to the floor.
Step 2: Raise your right leg and place the foot against your left knee, while your right knee drops open.
Credits: Alex Beauchesne
Step 3: Keep your spine straight and hinge forward from your hip till you can feel the stretch in glutes and sciatic muscles. Hold the pose for 10 -20 seconds before switching sides.
3. Modified Ardha Chandrasana
Why: To open and stretch the sides of your body and improve blood circulation
Step 1: Sit upright in your chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground and chin parallel to the floor.
Step 2: Raise both your arms above your head and interlace your fingers. Ensure that arms are not bent and that there is adequate space between your arms and your ears.
Step 3: Slowly lean to your right side, while keeping arms straight and feet flat. Lean as far to your side as possible, until you feel the stretch. Hold the pose for 10-20 seconds before switching sides.
4. Modified Marjaryasana + Bitilasana
Why: To improve posture, balance and core strength
Step 1: Sit upright in your chair with your feet planted firmly on the ground and chin parallel to the floor.
Credits: Innergy Corporate Yoga
Step 2: Place your hands on your knees and take a deep breath. Push your pelvis back while pushing your hips and abdomen forward. Let your shoulders move down and back and stretch your neck up to look at the ceiling. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Credits: Innergy Corporate Yoga
Step 3: Slowly exhale while tilting your pelvis back and curving your back. Let your chin touch the base of your neck and curl your shoulders forward. Engage your core and fix your gaze on your navel. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Step 4: Continue switching between the two poses for 3 sets.
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