Most of us are not gymnasts or professional dancers, so does great flexibility even matter? Unless you’re trying to impress someone in a yoga class, is becoming more flexible worth all the fuss?
If you work 40+ hours a week from a desk, you might want to reframe your thoughts on the necessity of flexibility. Turns out all the sitting we do contributes to bad posture, which results in reduced mobility of joints, easy injuries and back pain. But don’t get your thoughts knotted in worry yet. Even if you sit for a living, there are easy desk stretches you can do while at work.
Take a deep breath and give these flexibility boosters a try.
Seated Spinal Twist
- Sit on the edge of your chair with the feet firmly planted on the floor
- Hold the back of the chair with one hand and put the other hand on the outside of the opposite knee
- Twist the torso in the direction of your hands. Hold 15 seconds and breathe
- Repeat on the other side
Glute Stretch
- Sitting on a chair, place the right ankle on the left knee
- Place the hands on the right lower leg and slowly bend forward towards the legs
- Hold for 10-15 seconds and repeat on the other side
Wrist/Forearm Stretch
- With a straight elbow and palm facing upward, pull down on your palm to stretch the wrist and forearm
- Hold for 10 seconds and then repeat on the other side
Back Stretch
- With your feet flat on the floor, slowly lean forward and let hands fall toward the floor
- Chest should be on top of thighs and neck should be released
- Another option is to clasp hands behind your back before slowly leaning forward
Hamstring Stretch
- Extend one leg out in front with the toes pointing up
- Lean forward slightly, supporting your weight on the bent leg
- Hold for 15 seconds and switch legs
Chest Stretch
- Sit back in your chair with a relaxed posture, arms hanging either side of the chair
- Using the chair back for support, lift your chest and arms at the same time, turning your hands so your palms face out sideways
- Hold for 15 seconds
Shoulder Stretch
- Loosely hold a towel between both hands with your right hand positioned at the back of your neck and your left hand at your lower back
- Tug the towel using both hands, breathe slowly and hold for 15 seconds
- Change hands and repeat
Looking for some more ways to exercise at work? Now that you have flexibility covered, try strength training.