Balance your life, work, and wellness, with a targeted yoga sequence for the office worker!
If you use your laptop or smartphone daily, you’ll know it’s a life-saving, time-bending, always-delivering, blessing. The ease of internet access at our fingertips has simplified life and catapulted us into the future of technology. No industry has been left behind in this technological revolution. So chances are, at least one aspect of your job requires access to the internet and a computer. However, you’ll most likely already know there are some unfortunate detrimental side effects that come with all the hard work. Do a stiff back and sore wrists sound familiar?
Most of us spend a great deal of time on our devices, leading to tired necks, backs, and hands all over the world. But, when your day job involves staring at a screen, the effects can have a huge impact on your health. Daily strains come and go in the form of aches and pains, but the true long-term effects cannot be fully understood. This is because it’s only now that a completely computer-literate generation enters the workforce.
Despite this, many studies have proven yoga to be the perfect solution to the diagnoses that correlate in the 80% of people in the UK who are in managerial and professional roles. A 2011 study showed that health problems that are most commonly observed in office and clerical staff include:
- Lower back pain
- Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)
- Obesity
- Colon cancer
- Neck strain
- Heart disease
- Stress
- Headaches
Here, we have compiled our top three yoga poses and movements, from a range of yoga families. These aim to counteract the effects of prolonged desk-time and prevent diseases associated with it. Of course, we have broken each one down to allow you to understand and safely practice it, but we always advise you to book a class first!
The perfect yoga sequence for the office worker: sun salutation flow
The name “sun salutation” is rumoured to have originated from a Vedic ritual to welcome the dawn.
How to
Begin with the feet shoulder-width apart in the centre of your space with your palms turned outwards. The first pose in this sequence is the raised arm pose. As you start inhaling, bring your arms out to the side and up to join your palms together. To achieve the mountain asana simply set your gaze on your thumbs and slide your shoulders down and back. Hold this pose for 5 – 20 seconds. As you exhale, separate your palms and bend forward from the hip to touch the mat in front of your feet, or add blocks if you can’t quite reach. You are now in the standing forward bend asana! The next time you need to inhale, flatten your back by raising your head slightly and pushing the shoulders back. This will bring you into the flat back pose, which marks the halfway point of this sequence.
After holding this asana for 5 – 20 seconds and as you inhale, unfold yourself back into the raised arm pose. Finally, bend your knees into a deep squat, and bring your palms to the centre of the chest. Ensure that your back is straight and your posture is correct. After holding for 5 – 20 seconds, push through the heels back to a standing position and bring the arms back to their original placement: by your sides with your palms facing outwards.
Adapt the exercise
You can increase the intensity of your sun salutation with repetition and some pose adjustments. Firstly, try repeating this exercise five or six times using controlled breath and notice the calm amongst the endorphins. If it begins to feel too easy, try these adjustments:
- When in the flat back pose, try placing the backs of your hands flat on your mat. This adaptation is particularly effective in the prevention and management of carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms.
- Whilst in the final, non-official squat hold (not the same as a yoga squat, or Malasana) gently bounce up and down for extra toning and definition.
How it works
This sequence works in a rich multitude of ways to counteract the effects of laptop marathons and microwave meals. It is effective, firstly because of the wide range of motion in each movement, and secondly, because the hand-selected asanas release tension in muscles that are typically contracted whilst you work at your desk. The raised arm and mountain poses open up the chest and shoulders; whilst the standing forward bend and flat back asanas promote healthy digestion and strengthen and stretch the lower body muscles. The addition of a deep squat hold to end this sequence transforms it into a calorie-crushing set with diverse benefits and variability to prevent and counteract the effects of your day job.
Try it today:
Cat-cow-dog asanas
How to
Begin with your hands and knees planted on the floor in a tabletop position with a relaxed spine and pointed toes. As you inhale, curve the spine up into the cat pose, starring towards the knees. As you exhale, arch your back and lift your chest and head up into the cow pose. Look at your hands or, preferably forwards, and focus on pulling your belly button towards the floor. Continue this movement with each inhalation and exhalation for five breaths.
Next, inhale and flatten your feet to raise your buttocks to the ceiling with straight arms and legs, so that your body follows the shape of a triangle, with your mat as the bottom edge. Lift the hips, ground your feet, and hands outstretched in front of you on the mat. Whilst in the downward-facing dog pose, gaze at your toes and feel the stretch in your upper and lower leg muscles. Stay with this pose for three full breaths and then, with a knee bend, return to your starting position.
Adapt the exercise
Up the cat-cow intensity with the goals you set for your eye line. Whilst in cat pose, try looking at your navel, and whilst in cow pose, look towards the ceiling. To challenge yourself more holistically, set a timer for one minute and do as many as you can (correctly using the breath throughout) before the alarm sounds!
When your downward-facing dog is perfected and comfortable, you can begin to work your way towards the dolphin pose, where instead of palms to the floor, you will use your forearms. Avoid injury in this advanced yoga sequence for the office worker pose by practicing downward-facing dog regularly, listening to the boundaries of your body, and enrolling with a professional teacher.
How it works
Cat-cow tilts are great for alleviating back pain as a result of slouching, leaning, and sitting at a computer for prolonged periods. Its capabilities go wider than just better posture; cat-cow tilts help to properly align the neck, relieve headaches, and stretch the back and torso whilst improving organ function. Downward-facing dog is a challenging pose with rich benefits such as strengthening the back and upper body and giving the legs everything they need after a long day of sitting. It increases blood flow to the brain and stretches out the wrists and hands.
Try it today:
Happy baby rock
How to
Start off lying on your back and pull the knees up into the chest. Extend your arms upwards and inside the thighs to clutch the arches of your feet with your hands. Using two fingers to hold your big toes, open up your hips, slightly extend and widen your legs to deepen the stretch. The head should be in full contact with your mat or the floor, and your ankles should be directly above the knee, although they’re “stacked” on top of one another. Press your tailbone into your base and pull back with the arms and shoulders. You are now in the happy baby pose – congratulations! Rock side to side very gently before returning to the centre for a 30-second hold, and feel the restorative powers of this beginner-friendly pose.
Adapt the exercise
For an even stretchier stretch, ensure the whole spine aligns with the floor and focus on gently pushing the knees towards the hips. You can also alternate elongated holds of the happy baby pose with the legs-up-the-wall pose (or Viparita Karani).
Be sure to pair this pose with a controlled, deep breathing pattern for the ultimate yogic effect!
How it works
The happy baby pose is a gentle and mobile posture with origins of restoration and relaxation. It is beginner-friendly and focuses on stretching and mobilising the hip joints, which is ideal if you sit for long periods. It targets back pain and realigns the spine, whilst lowering the heart rate and stress levels after a long day. Relax with this highly effective and adaptable yoga sequence for the office worker!
Try it today:
Finding the perfect yoga sequence for the office worker: in conclusion…
The long-term effects of 24/7 desk work cannot truly be known, but studies have proven time and time again that computer users are more vulnerable to a host of different diseases. These yoga sequences for the office worker are an excellent way to counteract the effects with restorative postures and silky smooth transitions that target every limb, organ, muscle, and joint in the body.
Use the three yogic sequences as described, to counteract the effect your office chair is having on you and prevent common injuries with strength and flexibility.
