Yoga Poses For Sitting All Day

While jobs often provide security and nurture a sense of purpose, demanding occupations can be detrimental to your physical and mental well-being. The many hours of sitting, poor posture, commuting, workplace stress and a sedentary lifestyle are all contributing factors that can damage your health. Hunching over a desk can also lead to tight hips and legs, a weak core, and chronic health issues such as arthritis. 

A regular yoga practice can help offset the damage of sitting all day. You could even perform yoga while sitting at a desk. Read on to learn how you can master powerful asanas in the workplace.

The Benefits of Desk Yoga

Yoga poses that target areas of tension can be an effective antidote to many desk job ailments. From increased energy to enhanced productivity, here are several ways yoga can positively impact a sedentary work experience: 

• Enhances focus: Heavy workloads, endless meetings and impending deadlines can create mental clutter that can hinder your performance. The poses and simple movements of yoga are a great way to silence the noise. You can become more in tune with your body and the world around you, which enhances mental clarity and concentration.
• Relieves pain: Yoga helps to open the body through fluid movements, stretches and meditation. Studies have shown that it can reduce chronic pain for people with conditions such as arthritis, hypertension and multiple sclerosis. Another study found that restorative yoga for back pain can increase mobility more than standard medical care. 
• Improves posture: Poor posture can cause back pain, neck strain and shoulder stiffness, which can impede productivity. Performing yoga for prolonged sitting can help correct and strengthen the body as well as enhance flexibility. 

Yoga for Sitting All Day 

Here are three asanas to incorporate into your daily routine — whether at the office desk or in a control center. You can even perform these restorative poses in an intensive, 24/7 work environment to help beat fatigue, anxiety and muscle strain.

1. Seated Spinal Twist

Sitting at your desk for long periods can cause tension along the spine. This asana is a great way to alleviate back discomfort by opening the chest and shoulders. Begin the pose sitting upright. Place the left hand on the right thigh. Turn the torso to the right and look over the right shoulder. Hold the twist for five breaths, then repeat on the other side. 

2. Chair Pigeon Pose

While seated with both feet flat on the floor, cross your right leg over the left at a 90-degree angle, keeping the foot flexed. Keep weight distribution even between the sitting bones while staying in an upright seated position. You should feel a gentle stretch on the outermost part of the right thigh. Hold for five to 10 breaths, then switch legs. 

3. Seated Crescent Moon Pose

The side body tends to collapse when hunched over a computer. Perform this pose so you can return to your seat with a clearer head and taller spine. While sitting, lift your arms overhead and stretch your fingers wide. Lean to the right, taking two to three deep breaths. Repeat on the left side.

Who Can Benefit From Workplace Yoga?

Practicing yoga can lead to a more productive and harmonious work environment. The ancient practice can be especially beneficial for those who work in 24/7, intensive-use workplaces, such as: 

• Police, fire and EMS personnel, who deal with high-pressure, hectic situations every day. Practicing yoga can help them stay focused to better ensure the safety of the public.
• Transportation workers, such as pilots and conductors, who often can’t leave their seats for hours on end. By performing gentle yoga poses in their chairs, transportation workers can beat fatigue to keep the world’s trains, planes and helicopters functioning reliably and well.
• Casino surveillance operators who monitor casino activity round-the-clock. A few quick stretches and yoga poses can encourage blood flow to keep them alert and efficient on the job.

If you’re looking to enhance the quality of your intensive-use workplace, heavy-duty office chairs from Concept Seating can help. Our adjustable task chairs can help undo the damage and strain created by long days spent sitting at a desk. Contact us today to learn more about our high-quality office chairs.