In the office, working from home at the kitchen table or the local coffee shop, we can all develop aches from sitting for prolonged periods.
Muscle, joint and bone conditions cause over 20 million days off work in the UK per year.
The team at Corporate Personal Wellbeing are here to help reduce that number and keep everyone fit and healthy to be able to remain at work and stay productive.
These five simple desk stretches can be the first simple step to help prevent common issues and dysfunctions.
Here are our top five stretches that can be done at your desk.
1. Seated rotations
- While seated, cross your arms over your chest and grab your shoulders.
- Rotate your upper body from your waist. Turn gently from left to right as far as feels comfortable.
- You should feel tension on both sides of your lower back as it stretches out.
2. Seated back extensions
- Sit straight with your feet together.
- Put the palms of your hands into the small of your back.
- Lean back over your hands, feeling your lower back stretch out.
3. Seated hamstring stretch
- Sit on the edge of your chair with one leg extended and your heel on the floor.
- Lean forward from the hips and reach for the toes of your outstretched leg.
- Switch legs and stretch the other side.
4. Seated pigeon pose
- Sit at the edge of your chair and place your right ankle over your left knee.
- Flex your foot and feel the stretch in your hips and glutes. For a deeper stretch, hinge forward from the hips.
- Switch and stretch both sides.
5. Shoulder stretch
- Bring your right arm across your body, and support with your left by the upper or forearm.
- Feel the stretch in your shoulder and use the supporting arm to further the stretch if needed.
- Switch over for both sides.
All of these stretches can be held for 20 seconds, or 20 seconds on each side if required.
Don’t forget the best way to prevent aches and pains is to stand up regularly. Discover how often you should stand up.