7 ACTIVITIES TO STRENGTHEN YOUR PHYSICAL WELLBEING
Office Fitness: keep the brain and heart healthy
Option 1: Every hour walk round the office, at least get off your chair move and stretch.
Option 2: Use the stairs instead of the elevator and park your car further away.
Option 3: Hold your Abs in and run on the spot for 20 seconds THEN do 4 slow deep breaths, in and out. REPEAT this 4 times. (Take your heels or expensive shoes off for this exercise)
NOTE: if you suffer from a ‘bad back’ then in option 3, walk on the spot for 20 seconds. DO NOT RUN.
IMPORTANT: if you feel pain or dizziness, STOP immediately and visit a doctor.
Desk Yoga Activity #1 - HEAD NODS
• Place your feet flat on the ground with your hands in your lap. Ensure your spine is long and straight, AND your abs are pulled in..
• Inhale through your nose and as you exhale, tilt your head, and gently, on the count of 3 bring your chin to your chest.
Feel the back of your neck lengthen.
• Make sure all movement is slow and control. NO JERKY MOVEMENTS.
• Repeat this three times.
IMPORTANT: if you feel pain or dizziness, STOP immediately and visit a doctor.
Desk Yoga Activity #2 - EAR TO SHOULDER STRECH
• Place your feet flat on the ground and your hands with your hands in your lap.
• Hold in your abs then roll your shoulders back and down, hold this position.
• Inhale slowly and as you exhale gently lean your head to the left, (make sure your abs are held and keep your right shoulder depressed.
• You will feel a stretch down the right side of your neck.
• Repeat on the right side. Repeat 3-5 times.
IMPORTANT: if you feel pain or dizziness, STOP immediately and visit a doctor.
Desk Yoga Activity #3 - TWIST AGAIN
While it’s important for our posture to sit or stand upright while we work, our spines like to move in all directions. Here’s a stretch
you can do seated at your desk that makes space for your spine:
You can do this one seated, with your feet firmly on the ground facing forwards.
• Raise your arms up above your head and turn your torso to your right, at the same time bringing your left hand to your outer right
thigh, and your right hand behind your back.
• You will feel how far you want to take this stretch, but as you twist ensure that you continue you lengthen your spine up from the
crown of your head. Imagine someone has a length of thread pulling your head towards the ceiling.
• Raise your arms.
Desk Yoga Activity #4 - WRING OUT YOUR WRIST
It’s easy to forget how much work our hands do for us—typing, carrying, cleaning—and how easily we can overwork them.
Our wrists like a good stretch as much as the next joint, so here’s a few ways that you can give them some release.
This one utilizes your desk, and you will need to do it standing up.
• Raise your arms up above your head and turn your torso to your right, at the same time bringing your left hand to
your outer right thigh, and your right hand behind your back.
• You will feel how far you want to take this stretch, but as you twist ensure that you continue you lengthen your spine up
from the crown of your head. Imagine someone has a length of thread pulling your head towards the ceiling.
• Raise your arms.
Desk Yoga Activity #5 - JAZZ HANDS
This next one might get some weird looks from your colleagues, but the benefits are worth it. It’s a great way
to activate all the muscles in your hands and wrists and move them in a different way to what they are used to (e.g. typing!).
• Raise your hand next to your head so that your elbow is at a right angle.
• With your palm facing forward, make a fist and then release. Repeat this action, as fast as you can for thirty to sixty seconds.
It is meant to burn, that means it’s working.
• Repeat with the other hand. If you’re game, do both hands at once.
Desk Yoga Activity #7 - OPEN HIPS (great butt stretch)
• HOLD IN YOUR ABS! Pick up your right ankle and place it on your left knee. If you are unable to place your foot on
your thigh hold your foot and bring it as close to your knee as your flexibility allows.
• Breathe in and as you breathe out gently press your right knee down towards the ground – until you feel a stretch.
• Hold for ten seconds.
• Repeat on the other side.
Note: you can also do this exercise lying on the ground.
IMPORTANT: if you feel pain or dizziness, STOP immediately and visit a doctor.