Don’t have to stand to stretch
❝Frequent We are designed to move. stretching, moving and conscious breathing breaks every 30 minutes or so can help counteract the effects of sitting
— Nicole Loxley Gorry
SITTING at a desk all day goes against the natural body design.
“We are designed to move,” Toowoomba yogi and owner of Zama Yoga Nicole Loxley Gorry said.
“Frequent stretching, moving and conscious breathing breaks every 30 minutes or so can help counteract the effects of sitting.”
Mrs Loxley Gorry said sitting at a desk for long periods compressed the rib cage and lungs, which inhibited the function of the respiratory system.
She said the chemicals and body processes that resulted from sitting all day occurred in the sympathetic nervous system.
But yoga activated the parasympathetic nervous system, which countered the effects of the sympathetic nervous system.
“The great thing is that all of the sympathetic nervous system processes are bound together, so when one is switched off with yoga, they are all switched off,” she said.
“The sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems do not operate together, so as soon as the parasympathetic system is on, all the stress effects from the sympathetic nervous system are countered.”
Mrs Loxley Gorry shared her top yoga stretches to make your life at your desk a little more comfortable.
“As well as these simple movements, I cannot stress enough the importance of conscious breathing,” she said.
“Placing the breath in the belly allows you to ensure full expansion of the breath and when practised slowly and in a controlled way, the parasympathetic nervous system is activated.
“The breath does not need to be full and, in fact, a deep breath can create the opposite effect. The breath just needs to be gentle and expand the abdominal cavity.
“Try breathing in gently from the belly for a count of four and breathing out for a count of six. If you can pause between the inhalation and exhalation without strain, do so.
“Repeat 10 times with eyes closed if you can. You will feel much calmer and improve your health.”
Position 1 Ardha Matsyendrasana Variation - Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (A Seated Twist)
HOW TO: Place the left leg over the right.
Place the right arm to the outside of the left leg and turn towards the left, looking behind you.
Stay long through the spine and keep the right foot grounded on the floor, but allow the right hip to come forward if need be. Repeat to the other side.
WHY: Mrs Loxley Gorry said this posture facilitated rotation of the thoracic spine, which released spinal and muscular back tension. It was also a great stretch for the shoulders, hips and neck.
“Compression of the organs restricts blood flow to them, and when released, new blood rushes to nourish the organs, which can help their function,” she said.
“When sitting at a desk, there is significant pressure placed on the pelvis and spine.
“This posture releases some of that pressure and encourages mobility.”
Position 2 Ardha Anuvittasana Standing Backbend (Seated Variation)
HOW TO: This pose is best practised with the chair back rest in front, straddling the chair, can also be practised seated as normal with the chair back rest behind.
Ground both feet into the floor.
Keep the pelvis square and neutral (do not tuck or tilt).
Stretch up through the sternum, taking the arms up. If straddling the chair, clasp the hands behind and lift the arms up.
WHY: Mrs Loxley Gorry said this posture created space for the lungs and digestive organs, stretched the front of the body and aided spinal mobility.
She said often when seated in a chair, people slumped forward, which compressed the abdomen.
“This posture counters the effects of slumping,” she said.
Position 3 Tiryaka Tadasana Standing Side Stretch Seated Variation
HOW TO: Ground the feet to the floor and the pelvis to the chair.
Lift the arms overhead, allowing the ribs and shoulders to lift away from the hips.
Clasp the hands together and stretch over to one side.
Practise both sides.
WHY: Mrs Loxley Gorry said this pose stretched the arms and the sides of the body, helping relieve tension to the muscles in this area.
She said it created space for the liver and kidneys and could help their function.
Position 4 Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana - Half King Pigeon Pose - Chair variation
HOW TO: Externally rotate the right leg in the hip joint (for example, turn out the whole leg), bend at the knee, and place the right foot onto the left knee.
Make sure you ground the left foot to the floor, keep the hip bones square and flex at the right ankle, flattening the foot, to engage the leg muscles and protect the knee.
Gently fold forward from the hips with an anterior pelvic tilt (tilting the front hip bones in towards the thighs), letting the sit bones float back while staying connected to the chair.
WHY: “This pose releases tension in the, hamstrings, piriformis and gluteal muscles in the buttocks which can become tight and compressed from sitting and lead to problems like sciatica,” Mrs Loxley Gorry said.
Position 5 Neck stretch
Mrs Loxley Gorry said tension could be created in the neck when sitting all day which can cause headaches.
“Taking the head to either side for 30 seconds or so can help reduce neck and shoulder tension and therefore ward off headaches,” she said.
Position 6 Seated Forward Fold
“This pose stretches the back of the body, giving relief to stiff backs,” Mrs Loxley Gorry said.
“Simply fold forward at the hips and hang.
“Lowering the head below the heart can give relief to poor circulation and blood pressure issues created by sitting all day with the legs lower than the heart.”