You’re reading a yoga fitness article on the internet right now, which means you’re either scrolling through this website on your smartphone, or sitting in front of a computer.

While computers make many aspects of our personal and professional lives much easier, they’re not quite as beneficial to our health.

“Sitting is the new smoking,” warned Wired magazine in a 2013 article on the hazards of desk jobs.

We sit while we’re commuting to work, then sit all day while working and attending meetings, then sit some more on our way home, then finish the day of by sitting in front of the television before heading to bed. This highly sedentary lifestyle has triggered a whole host of health problems in the office-worker generation, from heart disease and diabetes to a shorter overall lifespan.

Yoga fitness is a great way to combat the negative effects of sitting, typing, clicking, and staring at screens all day. If you’re noticing the lingering effects of a life spent sitting down, here are six yoga poses that can help you feel better.

Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

This is a simple pose that almost anyone can do, even a person who’s never taken a single yoga fitness class!

To assume the downward dog pose, think about making an inverted “V’ shape with your body. “With hands outstretched in front and you, lift the hips and ground the feet (at about hips-width apart) into the floor. Ground all the fingers into the floor and point them forward, bring your attention to the breath as you enjoy the stretch for 30-60 seconds,” explains Huffington Post.

Mountain Pose (Tadasana)

This is another simple yoga fitness pose that can open up your back and chest after a long day of sitting.

“Come to a comfortable standing position with feet hips-width apart, bring your hands up over your head with palms facing forward and thumbs hooked as you bend gently backwards and breathe deeply,” explains Huffington Post.

Side Plank (Vasisthasana)

Do you suffer from weak, tired wrists that ache after a day full of writing emails? There are several yoga poses that can help to strengthen and open the wrists, helping your blood to circulate and relieving tension you might feel there.

Side plank can help to build stronger wrists, as well as giving you some nice abdominal muscles! Start in a traditional plank position, with shoulders positioned above the wrists and legs slightly apart and core tight. Slowly rotate your shoulders and core, reaching for the ceiling with one of your hands. Once you’ve achieved a ‘T’ shape, hold and breathe.

These are just a few of the most basic yoga fitness poses that can help you to eradicate the effects of working a sedentary office job. Get signed up for a class at Yoga Den today, then stay tuned for the second part of this post in which we’ll explore even more great poses for office workers!

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