Desk Stretches to do Right Now

Have you been spending spend countless hours sitting at our desk, in our car, and on the couch? Sitting all day increases the risk of obesity, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and back, neck, and shoulder pain. However, a study from the University of Alberta in Canada showed that taking more than 10 activity breaks a day was associated with lower waist circumference, blood pressure, triglyceride levels, glucose, and insulin and higher “good” HDL cholesterol. One way to take an activity break is to do this series of stretches.

Note:? Make sure all stretches are comfortable and not painful. Start with three repetitions on each side, and as your body gets used to the stretches, increase the number.

Rotate your neck – to release your neck muscles.?

Clench both fists, arms down by your side. Slowly tilt your head left and right. Then slowly lower your chin towards your chest and gently tilt your head back. If it’s comfortable, slowly rotate your head in one direction, then the other.

Shrug your shoulders – to release neck and shoulders.?

Lift your shoulders up towards your ears, then roll your shoulders to your back as you lower your shoulders. Reverse direction.

Chest stretch.?

Put your hands behind your head and point your elbows to the side. Feel the stretch by pushing your elbows as far back behind you as possible, squeezing the shoulder blades together.

Bear Hug - to stretch your back and chest

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Inhale deeply, and extend your arms to the sides at shoulder level. As you exhale, cross your arms over your chest, with one elbow on top of the other, as if you were hugging yourself. The next time you inhale, extend your arms to the sides again. As you exhale, cross your arms over your chest, this time with the other elbow on top. Repeat both sides three times.

Torso Twist – to increase mobility to your back, waist, and neck.?

Sit in a chair. Inhale and as you exhale, turn to the right and put your right hand on the back of the chair and the left hand on the armrest. Use your grasp on the chair to twist a bit further. Turn your head and let your eyes continue in the direction of the twist. Reverse direction.

Side Stretch – to stretch your upper body laterally.?

Either standing up or sitting down, interlace your fingers and lift your arms straight over your head. Slowly bend side to side.

Cat-Cow Stretch – to increase mobility in your back.?

While sitting or standing with bent knees, put both feet on the floor and your hands on your knees. On the inhale, arch your back and look up. On the exhale, round your spine and let your head drop towards your chest. Repeat.

Seated Hip Stretch.?

While sitting, cross one ankle over the knee on the other leg. Sit up tall and slowly lean forward with a straight back. Repeat on the other side.

Leg raises – to stretch your quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.?

Sit in your chair. Extend and raise one leg straight out on front of you for two seconds. Flex your foot towards your body. Raise your leg as high as you can and hold for two seconds. Repeat on other side.

Wrist Circles - to release your wrists and forearms

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Lift your arms with your elbows bent so that your hands are out in front of you. Create circles with your wrists while maintaining steady breath. Complete 10 circles and reverse direction for 10 more circles.

Get up from your chair – practice an important functional movement.?

Stand up and sit down in your chair without using your arms. This is a useful functional move and can be a challenge at first.

Practice these stretches once a day at your desk whenever you need a break and see how your body and mind feel afterwards.