Corporate Yoga: 7 Yoga Poses You Can Do In The Office

15 Feb 2021

As more Australians spend most of their days sitting down at their desks, there is a growing awareness of the adverse long-term health effects this can cause. Poor posture and being seated for long periods can cause muscle tension and even pain. While we can’t always do much to avoid this excess sitting, incorporating some simple yoga poses into your daily routine can do a vast amount to combat these side-effects.

Once you’ve given these poses a go, why not give our corporate yoga program a try so your entire office can take advantage of the benefits.

1. Wrist Stretches

If you’re spending all day typing away on your keyboard, this stretch is perfect.

Extend your arm in front of you, pushing away with your palm. Make sure that your wrist is facing up and your fingers are pointing towards the floor. 

Take your other arm and pull your fingers backwards gently. You should feel the stretch in your wrist, palm and fingers.

Hold the stretch for about 15 seconds before changing over.

2. Seated Stretches

This one is great for relieving the back pain that comes with sitting hunched over at your desk.

While seated at your desk, make sure your legs are hip-width apart,, and your feet are flat on the floor.

With your hands on your knees, breathe in slowly and arched back, rolling your shoulders around and down. As you breathe out, reverse the stretch, rounding your spine and letting your head drop as your chin meets your chest.

Repeat 2 to 3 times as necessary.

3. Hip Openers

While you’re still sitting with your legs hip-width apart and your feet flat on the floor, bring your ankle to your opposite knee and flex your foot to keep steady. 

The weight of your leg should softly pull your knee towards the floor. If this is tight, don’t worry! It happens when you have been sitting at a desk all day.

Hold this position for 15 seconds, and repeat on the other side. It’s ok if both sides aren’t equally as flexible.

4. Seated Twists

Sit sideways in your chair, so that the back of your chair is on one side of your body. Make sure that your legs are again hip-width apart and your feet are flat on the floor.

Breathe in. As you breathe out, twist your upper body towards the back of your chair. Make sure you pull your opposite hip back gently, and your spine stays tall.

Breathe in again and hold the pose, before breathing out and slowly returning to your seated position.

Turn yourself around the other side of the chair and repeat the movements again.

5. Shoulder Rolls

This simple move is great for relieving back tension, as it increases your range of motion.

Breathe in, and bring your shoulders up towards your ears and then bring them back down.

As you breathe out, move them down and forward.

Repeat the motion two more times in the same direction and then reverse it.

6. Shoulder Openers

Time to stand up! Step back, so there is a metre between you and the desk, facing towards it.

With your feet hip-width apart, breathe in and raise your hands above your head, shoulder-width apart. Making sure your back is straight, bend forward from your hips. Lower your back towards the desk as you exhale with your hands resting on the desk.

You can either have your legs straight with a slight bend in the knees, or they can be fully bent if that’s more comfortable. It should feel like your legs and back are forming a right angle with the desk.

Hold for 15 seconds and then slowly stand up straight.

7. Standing Thigh Stretch

This final stretch will make it easier to get out of your chair at the end of a busy workday.

Hold onto your desk or chair for stability, then press your feet down into the floor and lift your knee, holding it with your hand.

Take a few deep breaths. As you breathe in, pull in your stomach muscles, guiding your tailbone towards your heel and lengthening your knee into the floor.

You can make the stretch harder with a balance by lifting the opposite arm.

Breathe out to come out of the stretch and switch sides.

Corporate Yoga programs

If you enjoyed mixing up your workday with these simple yoga poses, you could benefit from having our Corporate Yoga program in your office to help keep yourself and your team fit, healthy and more relaxed. The personal benefits that yoga brings to its participants are quickly passed on through the company.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about how we can help make them a happier, healthier and more productive work environment by combating the adverse side effects of being seated all day.

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