When you’re hunched over a computer all day, melting into a relaxing sequence at the end of the day renews and rejuvenates your whole body. Feel free to do each of this pose individually or as a sequence, moving slowly and mindfully. Remember to be patient with your body and feel your muscles un-knot.
Best yoga poses to practice if you sit all day
Shoulder rolls
- Sit with your spine erect and feet apart on the floor. Inhale and simultaneously lift your shoulders to your ears.
- As you exhale, roll your shoulders down and back. Continue this movement for five breaths.
Benefits: This pose is excellent for softening shoulder muscles to release neck and upper back tension.
Setubandhasana or bridge pose
- Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent.
- By pressing into your feet, lift your hips off the ground.
- Next, bring your shoulder blades together and clasp your hands underneath you.
- Hold the position for as long as you are comfortable while taking slow, deep breaths.
- Then lower your hips to hover above the ground, inhale and lift again.
Benefits: The asana counteracts stiffness by building muscular strength in the upper back muscles. This restorative pose also opens up your chest and shoulders, which can help relieve back pain.
Prasarita Padottanasana or wide-legged forward bend
- Stand with your legs hip-width apart and your heels turned out.
- Fold your torso over your legs as you keep your inner arches lifted.
- Then reach for your ankles and gently draw your chest towards your thighs.
- You can also fold your arms and grab your opposite elbows while you hang your body down.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
Benefits: This hip-opening stretch relieves the muscle tension in your legs, which becomes tense after sitting all day. Also, practice this asana to soothe lower back pain and tension headaches.
Utkatasana or chair pose
- Stand with your feet together.
- Then bend your knees and lower your hips as you raise your arms overhead.
- Tuck in your tailbone like you’re sitting in a chair. You should be able to see your toes when you look down.
- Take slow breaths and hold this pose for 30 seconds.
Benefits: This is the best possible stretch to relieve the pain and soreness of a sedentary job.
Double pigeon pose
- Sit with your legs out. Bend your left knee and place your knee and foot on the floor. They should be parallel to your pelvis.
- Then bend your right knee. Your legs should make a little triangle.
- You may relax in this pose or place your hands before your shins. Then walk them out as far as you can, folding your chest toward your legs.
- Stay here for five breaths, then slowly rise and switch legs so your left knee is on top.
Benefits: Sitting at a desk all day makes for tight hips, which can lead to an achy lower back, so this effective hip-opener is a must.
Neck stretches
- Sit in a cross-legged pose and lean your head to the right.
- Then extend the left arm until you feel a deep stretch on your neck.
- Hold the pose as you take a few deep breaths, and then repeat on the other side.
- You can also try the neck stretches in mountain pose by pushing the neck to one side and gently pulling with the same hand.
Benefits: Perform a few repetitions of yogic slow neck stretches to counter neck discomfort that occurs from staring down at a keyboard.
Bhujangasana or cobra pose
- Lie on the floor and place your hands in front of you. Tuck the elbows into the chest.
- Push up and lift into a slight backbend and draw the shoulders down.
- Turn your gaze upwards and take a few slow, deep breaths.
Benefits: This grounding asana lengthens the spine and counteracts sitting hunched over all day. It can also help put the mind at ease while gently massaging the back.
“Sitting is the new smoking,” and indeed, research links a highly sedentary lifestyle with an increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease, among other serious health problems. These yoga postures can not only target areas of tension but can also be an effective antidote to many desk-job ailments.
