Most of nowadays working time consists in a bunch of sitting-at-your-desk actions. Replying to emails, writing and editing documents, filling-out forms and spreadsheets with numbers. But there’s more: when home, after your deserved meal, you’ll probably be sitting on your (beloved) couch to watch a new episode of your favourite TV series.

Everybody knows this is bad for your life and you don’t need to be a physiotherapist to realize it. Sitting all day increases the risk for obesity and might turn into poor posture, leg cramps and tense muscles at least.

Since this life pattern is pretty common to many of us, we’re going to discover 3 ideas on how to stretch your body  while you’re seated at your desk that will eventually help you get closer to a healthier life.

Stretch Your Neck

In this video, PersonalcareDoctors shows you how to stretch a tight neck while sitting at your desk (among other things). The exercise is very easy and short to get done, so most of people wouldn’t incur in any trouble while performing it.

How to do it:
Gently pull your head toward your right shoulder with your right arm while extending the left arm down and turning your palm forwards. Keep this position up to 10 seconds and then repeat on your opposite side.

Stretch Your Wrists

One of the body parts to pay much attention to are wrists. Typing all day on a computer keyboard and moving the mouse with our left/right hand, might turn into serious problems many 20th Century workers already suffer from (carpal tunnel syndrome is the most known of these).
In this video, Expertvillage offer us some useful techniques on how to stretch these stressed areas of our body.

How to do it:
Take you arms out and slowly turn up and down your hands to let your wrists gently stretch. Add a circle movement while keep turning up and down hands.  After 30/40 seconds, stop and pull one of your hand back towards the arm as far as it doesn’t hurt you. Then move your hand to the opposite direction (fingers pointed to the floor) and press it towards your elbow. Repeat all with your other wrist.

Stretch Your Upper Body

Once you’ve finished with neck and wrists, you should focus on your upper body to relieve stress from shoulders, neck, back, and spine through an easy combination of simple exercises to do at your desk, like Denise Austin shows us in this video. Specifically, let’s see how to perform a spine stretching exercise.

How to do it:
Stretch your arm up over your head. Now slightly bend your arms to the right and hold the position for at least 15 seconds, then do the same towards your left. When finished, release your arms.

Living a workday completely seated at your desk is a nightmare to your muscles and skeleton. What you need to do is to integrate at least one of the aforementioned exercises into your working routine and make your life healthier.
This way you’re going to perceive the immediate benefit of stretching activities and it’d be easier for you to stick with them.

—

About the Author: Matteo Duò is a Communication Specialist in love with Copywriting, Tech Stuff and Online Journalism. He’s also the author of «Sopravvivere alle email», a book that helps people communicate better through email. He’s been a Project Manager for big online projects with 200+ authors, Freelance tech journalist and Multimedia consultant at Swiss-italian Broadcasting TV. Google+