Stretching for Muscular Relief in the Workplace

By Jamie Yu

A lot of our jobs these days involve sitting at a desk, glaring at a computer screen sometimes up to 8 hour a day and beyond. The result of this over a long period of time can create tension and stiffness in our backs, wrists, neck, and legs which can only be detrimental to our overall health and wellbeing not to mention cause a decrease in productivity in the work place. As I have mentioned in another article, some of us even find our lives far to hectic to even exercise outside of work.

Here are couple of simple stretches/exercises you can do whilst seated at your desk that should bring some welcome relief:

• Shoulder Rolls: This exercise is helpful for those that sit in any one position for any considerable length of time as part our work. It’s fantastic for stress in the muscles of your back, and can also help relieve tension in the area where the trapezius is located.
  
  Sitting upright, breathe in as you lift your right shoulder to your ear. Then exhale as you slowly roll your shoulder around and back, dropping it away from your ear. Do 3 revolutions on the right side before alternating to the left shoulder.
  
• Spinal twists: A lot of us hunch whilst we sit, thus placing stress on our lower back. This exercise is simple in method, but highly effective.
  
  In a seated position with the feet flat on the floor, contract the abs and gently twist the torso towards the right, using your hands to help deepen the stretch. Only twist as far as you comfortably can and keep the back straight while keeping the hips square. Hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.
  
• Wrist Stretches: RSI, or Repetitive Strain Injury, is common with people who use a keyboard quite frequently. The main symptoms of RSI are weakness in the joint, recurring pain, tingling, and numbness.
  
  Try this simple wrist stretch to keep your joints in this area supple and flexible. Face the edge of the desk. Lean into the wrists and flatten your palms as much as possible. Stand up. Then turn your hands so that the wrists face your computer and then your fingers.
  
• Leg Lift with an ankle twist: Your legs are a large part of your body and need as much focus as your upper body, lower back, and wrists. Your circulatory system doesn’t end at the waist so this is another great exercise to keep the blood flowing around the extremities and also to keep stress and tension at bay.
  
  Sit forward on the chair so that your back is not touching the chair's back. Place feet flat on the floor. With a straight leg, lift one foot a few inches off the floor. Hold momentarily, and return your foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg. Alternately flex your ankle (point your toes up) and extend (point your toes down). Now Repeat with the other leg.

You can do 3-4 circuits like this of the 4 stretches/exercises listed here.

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