It’s really good to wake up early and learn yoga online to kickstart your day. But have you ever considered taking stretch breaks at the office? Yoga is important especially for those people whose jobs require them to sit in an office chair, in front of a desktop for long hours. 

Whenever we talk about yoga in the office, people often ask:

What are the benefits of yoga in the office? 

What types of yoga can be done at work? 

What poses can be easily performed at the office? 

We decided to create this blog to answer such questions only! Ekattva Yogshala – the best yoga school in Rishikesh, India – will tell you everything about doing yoga in an office chair. 

Let’s not waste any more time and discuss the benefits of doing yoga at work. 

Yoga in office: Benefits 

The popularity of yoga has risen a lot since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many corporate offices are hiring yoga teachers and instructors to improve the health of their employees. Here are many reasons for doing yoga in your office chair: 

Increase energy: Let’s be honest. We all struggle while trying our best to balance our work and family life. Working straight for 6-8 hours every day at the office desk and spending time on household chores brings down our energy levels. 

Performing yoga poses (even modest stretches) can help you boost blood circulation. Increased blood flow reduces fatigue and gives an energy boost to the body. 

Eliminate stress: According to the American Institute of Stress (AIS), 40% of employees reported their job to be extremely stressful. 25% of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives. We also agree that long hours in the office can be very stressful. It affects your health as well as productivity. 

Yoga is one of the finest ways to lock horns with stress and overcome its adverse effects. Doing it regularly, even for a few minutes, will help you bring down high cortisol levels – stress hormones. It will cheer up your mood and boost productivity. 

Improve posture: One of the major benefits of doing yoga in the office chair. Doctors suggest that an inactive office lifestyle increases intra-discal pressure, stiffness of the lumbar spine and reduces the strength of lower back muscles. It also results in neck ache, wrist ache, slumped shoulders, and slouching.

Yoga can help office workers relieve pain and improve posture through stretches and asanas. It centers on major muscle groups and increases flexibility to avert stiffness and joint aches. 

Boost focus: Believe it or not, a hectic office lifestyle with squashing deadlines, a hefty line of duty, and constant meetings can forge mental clutter, hindering your decision-making. It can impede your ability to concentrate on the tasks at hand. By doing yoga in the office, you can clear away this mental clutter. 

Yoga will make you more alert, focused, and productive. It also enhances the blood supply in the brain, thus, enhancing brain function. 

Increase creativity: Remember we told you yoga helps you eliminate office stress? When your brain is not under any stress or constant pressure, it also promotes innovative thoughts and increases overall focus. We guess you get what we are trying to say! With increased focus and concentration, regular yoga practice in the office chair also deepens creative expression.

Learn more about the benefits of yoga and meditation.  

Different types of yoga to practice at the office

Just like there are different kinds of people in the world, different kinds of yoga also exist. We know that for some people, incorporating a variety of yoga types into their workout practice can be overwhelming. That’s why we bring for you the most beneficial ones. 

Here are the different types of yoga to try in an office chair: 

• Hatha yoga: Also called the gentler form of yoga, Hatha yoga is all about the basics. In this laid-back yoga practice, you have to hold each pose for a few breaths.  

• Ashtanga yoga: If you’re looking for a challenging yet orderly approach to yoga in the office, try Ashtanga. Better known as the 8 limb path, it acquires a very physically demanding sequence of postures. Meaning, beginners should stay away from it. 

• Yin yoga: One of the best yoga styles for workers to perform at the office. Yin yoga is a slow-paced type of yoga with seated postures that are held for longer periods of time. Practicing it during break time will help you find inner peace. 

• Restorative yoga: We believe you have already guessed what this yoga style is all about. Restorative yoga centers on tailing off after a long day and relaxing your mind. This style focuses on body relaxation. It can be performed in the last hours of office, before heading to home. 

• Anusara yoga: Yoga experts call Anusara a modern-day version of hatha yoga. It is most similar to vinyasa but with more concentration on the mind-body-heart connection. We consider it to be an amazing style for decreasing stress and increasing relaxation. 

Yoga in office: Best yoga poses to perform

Now that you know about several benefits and different styles of yoga, it’s time to talk about the best office yoga poses. There are several yoga asanas that help you overcome the strains of sitting in your chair and relieve tensions and stress that occur at the workplace. 

Here are the best ones: 

Yoga seated crescent moon

The seated crescent moon pose is a beginner yoga asana that stretches the sides of your body and lengthens your spine. It also improves concentration and supports circulation. Here are the steps to perform yoga seated crescent moon: 

• Start with lifting your arms overhead. 
• Connect palms and stretch your fingers wide.
• Lean to the one side lightly for 2-3 deep breaths. Repeat the process on the other side. 

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Chair pose

Better known as Utkatasana, the chair pose helps men and women knock up hamstring and glute muscles that have become feeble over time from sitting in an office chair. This yoga pose will also make your ankles limber and sturdy. Your arms and shoulders will gain power and flexibility. 

The following are the steps to perform chair pose at office: 

• Can’t leave your chair? No problem. Sit straight with your feet flat on the floor and your knees at a 90-degree angle. 
• Press down with your heels and use your legs and glutes only to stand up. 
• Sit back down gently, again using your leg muscles without shifting the hips from side to side.  

Wrist and finger stretches 

Now, this yoga asana might look very simple to you but it has many benefits. Stretching your wrists and fingers can stimulate your forearm and hand muscles and increase blood flow to the area. It also relieves muscle soreness, increases your short-term range of motion and long-term flexibility. 

Here are the steps to do wrist and finger stretches in the office: 

• Start by extending your arms overhead. Draw 5-10 circles inwards and outwards with the wrists. 
• Spread your fingers and close your fists to release excess tension. 
• Place your arms in front of yourself with palms facing upwards.
• Now gently apply downward pressure on each palm to stretch the wrist on each side. 
• Switch palms to face downward for a counter-stretch of forearms. 

Make sure to hold each stretch for at least 5-10 breaths.  

Desk yoga upward dog

Of course, performing an upward-facing dog on the office floor is a little awkward. That’s why we came up with the idea of a desk yoga upward dog. This yoga pose will help you improve posture by opening your chest and lengthening your spine. It also stimulates abdominal muscles and strengthens back muscles. 

The following are the steps to perform desk yoga upward dog: 

• Begin in a standing position for this pose. 
• Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of a sturdy desk, then walk the feet backward until your chest is a diagonal line to the floor. 
• Keep your arms straight and gaze towards the ceiling 
• Lean your hips towards the desk.
• Keep your legs engaged to prevent the lower back from sinking.

Best chair yoga poses to improve health and wellness.

Neck rolls 

A seated neck roll is considered a warm-up yoga pose to prepare the body for slightly intense office yoga poses at a desk. It stretches your spine and improves spinal mobility. It also liberates tension from your neck, which is particularly important, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk in the office.

The following are the steps to perform neck rolls in your office chair: 

• Take your shoes off before starting these stretches if you are wearing high heels.
• Close your eyes.
• Let your chin drop down to your chest.
• Begin to circle your neck slowly, taking the right ear to the right shoulder, the head back, and then the left ear to the left shoulder.
• Try to keep your shoulders relaxed and don’t hurry through any areas of tightness that you come across.
• Do 3 to 5 rolls and then switch directions to take another three to five rolls.

 

Above are the best yoga poses to perform at your desk in the office. We understand leaving your office for a warm-up is not viable. With these yoga exercises, however, you can cut back uneasiness, top-up energy, and clear your mind – all amidst your busy office routine. 

Got any queries to ask? Send them to info@spiritualpunditz.com and have them answered by our yoga experts. 

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