Sitting on a computer all day to work can become a real pain in the neck (or back) if you don’t take regular breaks. Choosing to not get up and instead plow through your work often leads to fatigue, poor posture, and repetitive strain injuries of the wrists and arms.
Taking regular breaks through out your day to stretch or move around not only moves the blood around your body, it also provides your brain with a chance to recharge, so you can return to work more focused and productive.
More productive ways to spend your breaks include going outside to get fresh air, walking around the block or through a park, and drinking water. However, if you are pushed for time and limited by weather an even more optimal way to spend your break is to stretch your body and focus on your breathing.
Stretching your body elongates your muscles and gets rid of tightness from sitting in a fixed position. Slowing down and focusing on your breath controls your thoughts, emotions, and in turn reality.
As a entrepreneurial lifestyle coach and meditation teacher, I have seen the most success with office workers when teaching this basic set of five Kundalini warm up exercises, modified for a desk chair. Not only can these exercises be completed in five minutes, all my clients report feeling more relaxed and focused afterwards.
Schedule in your calendar two breaks throughout the day, I recommend 10am and 4pm and spend a few minutes going through these meditative exercises. Close your eyes, relax and enjoy. What have you got to lose, except your stress and fatigue?
1. Spinal Flex
Benefits:
This exercise stimulates and stretches the lower and mid-spine. It improves emotional balance and promotes better flow of energy between the lower and higher centers of the body by opening up your solar plexus chakra (below your heart).
How it’s done:
1. Sit on your chair with a straight spine.
2. Hold on to your knees (if comfortable) or place your hands on thighs.
3. While keeping your head straight and eyes looking forward, inhale and press your chest forward so you arch the bottom of your spine.
4. As you exhale and remain looking forward with a straight head and curl your spine down and relax your shoulders.
5. Continue rhythmically with deep breaths for 1 – 3 minutes.
6. To end inhale, exhale, and relax.
2. Sufi Grinds
Benefits:
This yoga exercise massages all your important digestive organs and forces toxins and waste out into the elimination systems of your body. It also warms up and loosens the lumbar area of the back.
How it’s done:
1. Sit on your chair with a straight spine.
2. Hold on to your knees (if comfortable) or place your hands on thighs.
3. While keeping your head still, grind your stomach over to your right knee and continue in a big circular motion moving left (counter clockwise). Once you are halfway through start moving in the opposite direction (clockwise).
4. Visualize drawing a big circle with your navel.
5. Inhale as your body moves forward and exhale as you move backwards.
6. Continue for 1 – 3 minutes.
7. To end inhale, exhale, and relax.
3. Spinal Twist
Benefits:
This exercise promotes flexibility in your entire back and massages the inner organs. It also opens up the heart center and stimulates the upper spine.
How it’s done:
1. Sit with a tall spine.
2. Grab your shoulders, with the thumbs in back and the fingers in front.
3. Keep your elbows high, with your arms parallel to the ground.
4. Inhale as you twist the head and torso to the left.
5. Exhale as you twist to the right.
6. Keep repeating with a powerful breath for 1 – 3 minutes.
7. To end inhale facing straight forward, exhale and relax.
4. Shoulder shrugs
Benefits:
This exercise releases tension in the shoulders. Opens the upper spine and energizes the heart and throat centers.
How it’s done:
1. Sit on your chair with a straight spine.
2. Hold on to your knees (if comfortable) or place your hands on thighs.
3. Inhale and shrug your shoulders up towards your ears.
4. Exhale and drop the shoulders down.
5. Continue rhythmically with powerful breathing for 1 – 2 minutes.
6. To end inhale, exhale and relax.
5. Neck Rolls
Benefits:
This exercise releases tension in the neck and shoulders, stimulates the thyroid, and promotes better blood flow to the brain.
How it’s done:
1. Sit on your chair with a straight spine.
2. Hold on to your knees (if comfortable) or place your hands on your thighs.
3. Begin rolling the neck clockwise in a circular motion, bringing the right ear toward the right shoulder, the back of the head toward the back of the neck, the left ear toward the left shoulder and the chin towards the chest.
4. The shoulders remain relaxed and motionless and the neck should be allowed to gently stretch as the head circles around.
5. Continue for 1 or 2 minutes, then reverse the direction and continue for 1 or 2 minutes more.
6. To end, bring the head to a central position and relax.
Featured photo credit: Binary Koala via flickr.com
