No, we don’t mean sit-ups.
We’re talking about working out from a chair. Poses and sequences designed to relieve stress and be a form of exercise!
So check these out. They’re relatively easy to do, and they’re quick. Plus your bosses will approve when they boost your productivity!
Breathing:
Breathing is important for reasons other than the obvious, “if we don’t then we die” one, so once you learn this — it’s half the battle!
Inhale and expand the ribs, feeling for moving the ribs all the way up into the armpit. Exhale, pull the belly in emptying all the used air out. This helps purify the lungs which raises your energy levels and increases your metabolism. Breathe like this throughout all these poses — and in the rest of your life!
Spinal Twist:
People might ask you what you’re doing, but the answer will always be, “feeling better than you are!” Ha!
While sitting in your chair, do a simple twist to release the back. Inhale, sit tall. Take your right hand across the torso to the left arm rest, left hand on the back of the chair. Exhale, twist to the left. Stay for five breaths and then switch sides.
Shoulder Shrugs:
We just did these, and they work. No joke, it was like someone was reading our minds!
These massage out upper back and neck tightness and strengthen the upper back which helps you sit up straight. Inhale, hold the breath. Lift your shoulders high up to the ears and squeeze them straight back. Exhale, squeeze your upper shoulder blades together and drag them down the back. Keep the arms relaxed. Inhale, breath into your upper back. Exhale, pull your mid-shoulder blades together and down. Inhale, broaden the upper back. Exhale, squeeze the bottom tips of your shoulder blades together, elbows squeezing towards each other and drag down. Do three sets.
Neck Release:
Try this follow up next!
Follow the shrugs with a gentle neck release. First, put your left hand, palm down, under your left sit bone, fingers pointing toward tailbone. Lean right, relax your right ear toward your right shoulder. Keep the chest lifted. Breathe into the stretch on left side of neck; relax into the stretch.
Step two, if you have a neck injury, leave your right arm down through this exercise. If your neck is okay, reach the right arm up over head and wrap the fingers lightly around the jaw. Allow the weight of the arm to increase the stretch in the neck, do not pull on your neck. Then, roll the head one inch toward chest. Breathe deeply into the new stretch on the left side of the neck, relaxing the neck. Finally, release the top hand, bow the chin towards the chest, putting both hands on your knees. Take one full breath into the back of the neck, keeping the back of the neck long. Then use the left palm at the center of the forehead, inhale and ease the head up. Repeat on both sides.
Agni Sara:
Heed the warnings on this one guys. No need to get injured and to make things worse!
If you have high blood pressure, only hold the breath for a couple of pumps per round. If you are pregnant, wait until after delivery to do this.
To work the abs getting them stronger, more toned and supporting the back, experiment with Agni Sara while sitting. This needs to be done with the belly empty of food. Inhale, forcefully exhale through the mouth, chin down towards chest. Empty of breath, pump the belly in and out by alternately pulling the belly up and back towards the spine then relaxing it completely. Do three to five pumps before inhaling. When you need to inhale, let the belly go and take a deep breath. Do a few rounds then stretch the abs by clasping the hands above the head, arms straight, arching back slightly over the chairs back rest. Keep both sit bones down on the chair — don’t flip over!
Back Release Pose:
This exercise is for the thighs, hips and lower back. Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, knee opening out to the side, exhale and lean forward over legs. Relax the neck and arms. Hold for five breaths and then do the other side.
Hand/Wrist Stretching:
This one’s great if you spend the day typing like we do!
In every desk job I’ve encountered, the hands and wrists are crucial. It’s important to take care of them by doing wrist stretches. Here’s one variation: straighten your arm in front of you, spread the palm facing away from your torso, fingertips toward the floor. Use the other hand to pull one finger at a time slowly back, holding each finger for a full inhale and exhale.
Awesome!
Easy enough, yeah? If you can ignore what others will think of you while you do these, they’re bound to help you out. Who cares what others think anyway, right??
Have a healthy work day!
[Image via AP Images.]