3 Quick Yoga Poses for the Office

Its 8:30am on a Wednesday. You’ve made it to the office early to catch up on emails, grab a cup of coffee or simply surf the web for a few minutes before that 9am meeting. Since you have a few extra minutes to spare before starting your day, why not try a few relaxing yoga poses?

Yoga is a great way increase blood flow throughout the body and help stimulate the brain, making your mind sharp during those important meetings or presentations. Both Men and Women can benefit from a simple 10-20 minute set of yoga poses each day.

Make sure to bring a small yoga mat with you to work and store this under your desk as a reminder each day to start your short routine. If you don’t want to get your work clothes wrinkled, there are a couple more poses we include that can be done while sitting in your office chair.

Consult a Physician

Remember to consult a physician before any exercise to make sure you are physically fit to perform the routine with low risk of injury.

1. Cat-Cow Pose

The Cat-Cow is a classic Yoga pose that involves getting down on all fours. Place your knees underneath your hips. As you inhale air, curl your toes under, drop your belly and gaze up at the ceiling. As you inhale air, release the tops of your toes and round your spine as you drop your head toward your navel. Repeat these steps for 5-10 breathes, inhaling and exhaling.

2. Cat-Cow Chair Pose

If you don’t have a mat handy or just want to refrain from wrinkling your work clothes, try this similar pose to Cat-Cow while in your office chair. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and hands on your knees. Push your belly forward and look up during inhale. Next, round your spine and look toward your navel as your exhale air. Repeat these steps for 5-10 breathes, inhaling and exhaling.

3. Raised Hands Chair Pose

Another great pose to try in your office chair is “raised hands”. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and hands on your knees. As you inhale, raise your hands toward the ceiling. Allow your shoulder blades to slide down your back as you reach upward, pointing the tips of your hands to the sky. Relax your hands as you exhale. Repeat these steps for 5-10 breathes, inhaling and exhaling.

A New Year, A New You

We often have overly aggressive exercise goals going into the new year. These goals may be realistic for some, but unattainable for many. While you may be highly motivated in January, its important to set achievable short term goals. A short set of yoga poses may be just what you need to help reach your long term fitness goals and keep you focused throughout the year.