Wellness@Work: Yoga at your desk for your shoulders

By Michelle Ryan
mryan@health.southalabama.edu

Many things can add up to tight shoulders, such as stress, prolonged sitting, poor sleeping positions, past injury and poor posture. To balance these effects, stretching and strengthening your neck and shoulders are essential to help the muscles realign, which helps reduce tension.

Try to incorporate these seven shoulder stretches into your day –right at your desk– to loosen up your body, reduce stress and boost your mind.

Neck and shoulder stretch. Sit upright and relax your shoulders. Roll your head to the right, reaching your ear toward your shoulder. Rest your right hand on the side of your head to help increase the stretch, if that is appropriate. Notice that you don’t collapse the upper body forward and continue to lift your chest. Hold for up to 30 seconds on both sides.

Cross-body shoulder stretch. Start in a seated position, and sit up straight. Reach your arm across your body. Place your opposite hand just above the elbow. Inhale, then exhale and use your hand to draw your arm closer toward your body. Hold for three breaths. Avoid overstretching the arm across your body, and be sure to stretch both sides.

Overhead shoulder stretch. Reach your arm overhead, and bend it toward you, placing the palm against your back or at least moving it in that direction. Keep the elbow pointing up toward the ceiling, and use the opposite hand to gently draw it toward the midline of your body until you feel a stretch. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds, and repeat on both sides.

Triceps desk stretch. This stretch can easily be done at your desk. Rest your elbows on your desk, and place them wide enough so your head is between your arms. You can choose to keep your palms together or separate them to your comfort level as needed. Allow your chest to relax toward the floor until you feel the arms stretch. Hold for up to 30 seconds.

Eagle arms. Reach your arms overhead, then bring the right arm under your left, crossing at the elbows and again at the wrists, if available. If the shoulders are tight, you can place your hands on your shoulders or reach the backs of your hands toward each other. Inhale, lift your arms, then exhale to release. Repeat a couple of times on each side. Work on keeping the shoulders away from your ears when you lift your arms.

Hand clasp behind back. Begin seated. Place your hand as if you were giving yourself a pat on the back. Reach your opposite hand behind the middle of your back, palm facing out. Eventually, you may be able to clasp the fingers together. If not,that’s use a strap, towel, etc. to create the connection. Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and repeat on both sides. For an additional stretch, tuck your chin toward your chest.

Push-the-wall stretch. Place your hands on a wall, then start to walk your feet back until you reach a 90-degree bend in your hips. (Bending one knee and pressing into the opposite heel may also feel like a welcome stretch in your legs, as shown.) Steady your arms against the wall, keeping your head in line with, and your gaze toward, the floor. Hold for a few breaths. If you are experiencing high blood pressure, keep your head above your heart.

About the author: Michelle Ryan, an E-RYT 200 yoga instructor, works as a marketing specialist for USA Health.

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