yoga at work

Especially for those who are working desk jobs, most of you undoubtedly feel quite stiff as a result of being crunched over your desk, slouching, sitting uncomfortably. I used to have constant back pain from sitting in front of a computer all day, to the point of having to recline back in my seat, turning my monitor down to meet my gaze. Doing yoga daily has eased much of this discomfort, and I'm happy to say that I generally sit in a more presentable manner these days.

My posture has improved rapidly from doing yoga daily, making it easier for me to sit up straight. Still, I get antsy from sitting there with no movement whatsoever. My body enjoys stretching and twisting and pulling all kinds of maneuvers. Below are a few things I do to keep myself as active as possible while being sedentary (if you have any tips of your own, please comment and share):

• Lotus or half lotus is excellent for the hips and also helps me keep my back straight. My coworkers may think I'm a bit strange, but my body is grateful. Remember to switch out your legs!


• Especially after doing a version of lotus pose, I like to sit back on my knees, either on my toes or heels.


• Something else I enjoy is bending at the knee and swinging both feet behind me on either side of the thigh, while the feet reach out through the holes between the chair arms and back (provided that you have a chair conducive to this pose).


• Most important about the three poses above is the ability to keep your back straight, I have found. If one of them makes you more likely to sit up straight, that's the one to go for.


• I have a swivel chair at work, and I like to do an occasional twist. I keep my torso to face the computer monitor while I rotate the chair to the left and right with my hand, thus creating a twist.


• To build strength, I extend each of my legs one at a time and hold for five minutes each. The knee can either be bent or straight, depending on your needs.

Some of these may get you strange looks, but I find that it helps relieve some of the stress your body endures from being immobile for such a long period of time.