5 Desk Friendly Stretches to Help You De-Stress

Ever feel like you’ve been staring at a screen and sitting for hours, yet your body is still tired at the end of the day? You’re not alone!

As our society increasingly relies on technology, more and more people at their desks: hunching and typing and tightening muscles. While we at Lose It! welcome the advance of more people using apps, we’re all about reversing the effects of sedentary lifestyles through healthy habits.

Here are six moves for three common problems Lower Back Pain, Tight Hips, and Neck Tension.  The good news is aches and pains can be alleviated with some simple moves.

To Reduce Lower Back Pain:

1. Latissimus Dorsi (Lat) Stretch – Start on all fours. Have an exercise ball or a chair/sofa/stool in front of you. Extend the right arm and rest your forearm on the ball or chair. Draw your naval upward, and stretch your spine into a camel-like pose.  If you are using the ball, roll the ball forward. If using a sofa or other prop, feel as if you are pushing it away from you. Hold, feeling the back stretch, and switch arms.

To Stretch Tight Hips:

1. Kneeling Hip Stretch:

Kneel with left leg in the front (knee over ankle, but no further) and right knee to the ground, both bent at a 90 degree angle. Raise your right arm overhead and rotate it outward, feeling a stretch in the hip. Rotate the arm and shoulder to the front and side, then alternate legs and arm. Pro Tip: squeeze your glutes to open up the hip stretch even further!

2. Lunge/ “Warrior” Pose: 

Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Step your right leg back in a wide stance, keeping the heel off the ground. Bend your front knee deeply, and bring your hands above your head, palms facing each other (you can put your hands on your hips if you need to stabilize). Pro Tip: Keep your front knee above the ankle, and don’t let it come past your toes! This will reduce knee stress.

To Loosen Neck Tension:

1. Breathe Deeper and Relax Your Jaw:

Holding stress in the neck and jaw is another common side effect from sitting at the computer all day. Practice taking a large breath from the diaphragm, not the chest. Secondary breathing muscles, like scalenes, are located in the neck area. In stressed breathing, these muscles are recruited to assist your air intake – think of when you see someone heaving, with their chest making large movements and the neck flexing in response. Non-stressed breathing comes from the diaphragm, and will reduce strain on those delicate muscles in your neck you’ve been leaning forward with all day.

2. Assisted Neck Stretches:

We don’t give our neck enough credit. It’s craning, turning, and holding a heavy head all day. Give it some love by taking two right hand fingers to the left crown of the head, guiding the right ear to the right shoulder. Hold, switch sides, and repeat. Then, look slightly up and to the left, repeating the guided motion at a slight diagonal. Hold, switch, and repeat.