Undo the damage of sitting with this 25-minute yoga flow routine
This short stretching routine promotes better posture, improves flexbility, and reduces the risk of injury
Whether you've always worked in an office or you had to suddenly switch to home working over the past few years, sitting for hours at a time can start to impact your body.
If you've been wearing one of the best fitness watches, your wrist-worn device reminds you to stand for a moment and move around, but that can't entirely undo the effects of sitting down.
To get some more movement, check out this 25-minute yoga daily stretching routine for desk workers. The short class is suitable for all levels, and all you need is one of the best yoga mats.
This session is ideal for beginners as there are no complex balances, and most moves keep you close to the ground. The desk worker-focused moves also improve flexibility and build core strength.
Watch Jessica Richburg's yoga for desk workers
Your core, an area of mid-body muscle around your abs, plays a vital role in promoting better posture. Building these muscles can also improve stability, reduce the risk of injury, and encourage blood flow.
Yoga has many other well-documented benefits, too, like slowing down the aging process. This isn't a superficial change, as scientists found that a regular practice actually reduces internal cellular aging.
It's also a great way to strengthen the connection between your body and mind, which is one of the reasons yoga is so effective at reducing stress and promoting a mindful approach to other activities.
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While yoga can help undo some of the damage caused by long periods of sitting, there are few ways to prevent some of the worst effects. The most critical is ensuring you have a correct sitting posture.
This keeps your head level with the screen, so you aren't continually straining up or looking down, and your legs and arms at 90 degrees to prevent hunching or uncomfortable spinal twisting.
Some people also find that switching to a standing desk helps, although this isn't an option for everyone. If you're already suffering from the ill effects, pick up one of the best posture correctors.
These adjustable straps loop around your shoulders and under your arms to pull your shoulders back and straighten your spine. They are an inexpensive way to prevent pain in the long run.
James is a London-based journalist and Fitness Editor at Fit&Well. He has over five years experience in fitness tech, including time spent as the Buyer’s Guide Editor and Staff Writer at technology publication MakeUseOf. In 2014 he was diagnosed with a chronic health condition, which spurred his interest in health, fitness, and lifestyle management.
In the years since, he has become a devoted meditator, experimented with workout styles and exercises, and used various gadgets to monitor his health. In recent times, James has been absorbed by the intersection between mental health, fitness, sustainability, and environmentalism. When not concerning himself with health and technology, James can be found excitedly checking out each week’s New Music Friday releases.
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