5 Great At-Your-Desk Stretches
This afternoon, bring some life into your cubicle by trying these at-your-desk stretches.
It's around 3:00 p.m. when you notice the stiff soreness in your shoulders and the leaden heaviness of your eyelids. All you want to do is find a comfortable spot in your cubicle and curl up for a quick catnap. But instead you must deal with a phone that won't stop ringing, a relentless barrage of e-mails and the expense report that your boss just demanded.
For most, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up means grabbing a candy bar from the vending machine or kicking back a double cappuccino from the corner coffee shop. Next time, why not try a little stretching to shake off the late-afternoon blahs?
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Here are a few stretches you can try anytime of day whenever you — and your body — need a quick dose of re-energizing. They are adapted from yoga expert and relaxation consultant Darrin Zeer's Office Yoga (Chronicle Books, 2000) and Office Spa (Chronicle Books, 2002). Most of these can be done while you're working — when you restart your computer after it freezes, in between phone calls, or while you're waiting for a fax to go through — so it doesn't mean squeezing another "to do" into your already-hectic schedule.
Kick-Back Log-on Pose: While sitting at your desk, interlace your fingers behind your head. Relax your elbows and shoulders. Breathe and stretch your elbows back.
Keyboard Calisthenics: Place hands in prayer position, move fingers in all directions and stretch. Squeeze fists tight. Then, stretch your fingers wide. Interlace your fingers and rotate hands.
Neck Rolls: Drop your head to one side. Roll it around in a wide circle, and then switch directions.
Chair Stretches: While sitting, interlace your fingers below your knee. Bend your leg up, and then stretch your forehead to your knee. Switch legs. Another stretch for your chair: Cross your left leg over your right. Place your right hand or elbow on the crossed knee. Gently turn your body to the left and look behind you. Switch legs, and twist the other way.
Lower Back Bend: Grab the edge of your desk or counter, and step back a couple of feet. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Let your upper body stretch down, relaxing your head and neck.
Also, Zeer stresses the importance of breathing throughout the workday. "With all of the stress, we are literally holding our breath all day," he explains. "By taking a long, deep breath, you'll instantly relax your body and de-stress your mind. You can't beat that."
Feeling stressed? Your mindset might be hindering your weight-loss goals. To learn more, read our Science Center article about the relationship between Mood and Weight.
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