We talk a lot on here about how our society today sits too much. We don’t mean to sound like a broken record because we get it, our jobs involve sitting too. Just because you sit a lot doesn’t mean you have to just be okay with the negative impacts sitting for long periods of time can bring. Instead, we encourage ourselves and those around us to do things like… getting up every hour and go for a short walk, make sure our posture is good while we are sitting, take the time to break a sweat, or try some yoga poses.
Adding these yoga poses into your daily routine can really help elongate the muscles that have been shortened while sitting. Plus, they are a great way to take just 5-10 minutes to relieve some stress too.
4 Yoga Poses For People Who Sit Too Much
Child’s Pose
This pose is the king of de-stressing. Just a few minutes here can relieve tension and anxiety build up from a long day of meetings, phone calls and hours at the computer.
How to: Sit on your feet on the floor. Separate your knees a bit outside the width of your hips and your toes touching under your butt. Lower your chest towards the ground allowing your stomach to go between your thighs. If you can go as far to the ground as you can to allow your forehead to rest on the ground too. If you can’t go that far, then just rest here with your forearms on the ground. If your forehead is on the ground, extend your arms above your head with palms down. Allow your body lengthening from your hips all the way through your fingertips. Hold this pose for 2-3 minutes.
Happy Baby
This pose is a great releaser for your lower back. It can be a bit awkward at first but you will get the hang of it.
How to: Lie on the floor on your back. By bending your knees toward your chest, allow your knees to fall on the outside of your rib cage allowing you to grab the outside of your feet. Gently pull your feet towards the floor. You should start to feel your hips and back release. Hold for a couple minutes. After holding this pose for a bit, you should be able to push a little more to feel an even stronger release.
Legs Up the Wall
This pose will help increase circulation to your legs that have had the blood flowing down towards them all day.
How to: Lie down on the floor as close as you can to the wall. Ideally, you want your butt to be as close to the wall as possible so go ahead and shuffle your butt as close to the wall as you can. This can be done easily, while on your side and then rolling onto your back while placing the back of your legs on the wall. Rest your shoulders, arms, and head on the floor. Most people like to lay their arms by their side side or in straight out from their shoulders in a ‘T’ position. Whichever you do, make sure to have your palms face up. Close your eyes, focus on your breath and breathe deeply for 3-5 minutes.
Plow Pose
This pose will stretch a tight back as well as open the coccyx aka your butt bone. If you feel any neck pain, please stop doing plow pose.
How to: Lie down flat on the ground with arms along your sides. By keeping your palms pressed against the ground, slowly lift your feet, legs, butt and torso upwards towards your head using the support of your shoulders, back, and arms. This should be done in a slow and controlled manner. Try to keep your legs straight and reach your toes all the way behind your head. If you can, allow your toes to touch the ground above your head. Hold this post for a couple minutes and remember to breathe.
For even more ideas on how to combat the negative effects from sitting all day, check out our article – 3 Ways to Keep Work Productivity Up while Decreasing your Sitting Hours.
