Desk Yoga

A popular topic among many office workers is relieving some of the stress on our bodies involved with sitting at a desk all day. While it's not always convenient to visit the gym or a Yoga studio in the middle of the day, you can bring the Yoga to your desk. Try these easy Yoga techniques to alleviate your aches and pains while you're at work.

Before you begin your stretches, remove your shoes, sit up straight in your chair and breathe.

Neck Roll

Relieving tension in your neck helps your entire body to relax. Begin by dropping your chin to your chest, tilting your head down. Gently roll your head from the right ear to the right shoulder 3-5 times. Then, from the left ear to the left shoulder another 3-5 times. Don't forget to breathe.

Arm Stretch

(Part 1) Stand up from your chair inside your cube or office. Drop your arms to your sides, then reach behind you and clasp your hands together. You may also use a tie or something else to hold onto rather than clasping your hands. While standing, gently raise your arms backward, push out your chest and hold for 30-45 seconds. Breathe, relax and repeat.

(Part 2) Remain standing and raise your arms over your head with your palms toward the sky. Interlock your fingers and reach. Do not lift up with your toes. Simply reach from the waste to feel the stretch. Hold for 35-40 seconds, breathe, and then relax. Repeat as often as you'd like.

Cat Stretch

This stretch will help relieve stress in your shoulders and upper back. Sit straight up in your chair with both feet flat on the floor. If you are unable to put both feet flat on the floor, your office chair is likely adjustable by pulling on the knob underneath your seat.

Put your hands on your knees. On inhale, arch your back, sitting up really straight and look towards the sky leaving your hands on your knees. On exhale, round your back and let your head drop. Repeat for about 3-5 breaths.

Lower Back Chair Stretch

Begin seated in your chair, feet flat on the floor but farther apart than the exercises above. About hip width apart should do. Bend forward from the hip, relaxing your neck and allowing it to drop and hang. Round your back, relax your body and hold. Breathe and repeat.

Chair Twist

Sit in your chair sideways with your right shoulder facing the back of the chair and your feet on the ground. Turn your chest toward the back of the chair grasping each side with your hands. Gently twist with one hand pulling and the other pushing while you squeeze from the lower back. Breathe, change sides and repeat.

Tree Pose

Find a wall, either in your cube or in your office and stand with your left shoulder touching it. Stand with both feet together. Bend your right leg out to the side resting your foot flat against your left thigh. Hold for 20-30 seconds, breathe and release. Switch sides and repeat.

If you find this easy and you trust in your balance, try it without leaning on the wall.

Standing Pigeon

Stand facing your desk. Place your right knee and shin on top of the desk so that they are parallel with the edge, but with your knee toward the end of the desk and your foot toward your left leg. Keep your right leg straight and bend forward. Breathe and repeat with the other leg.

Wrist Stretch

Our wrists and fingers easily become stiff after typing on a keyboard all day. Try rotating your hands clockwise and then counter clockwise to loosen them up. Try it with both your fingers together and apart. Be careful with your wrists though as they are very delicate. If what you are doing hurts, stop immediately.

Eye Stretches

As with our wrists and fingers, our eyes can easily become fatigued after starring at a computer screen all day. BNET.com suggests that these exercises will strengthen your eye muscles and leave them refreshed:

Sitting up straight and only move your eyes look north, south, east and then west. Then continue by looking northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest.

Continue your gaze moving only your eyes in a clockwise then counter clockwise motion.

Rub your palms together until they become warm. Close your eyes, cover them with your palms and rest your eyes in darkness.

NOTE: be careful if you have contact lenses as they may become dislodged or fall out.