How To Do Yoga at the Office

The sedentary reality of office life takes a toll on our bodies and productivity. Simple yoga exercises and breathing techniques can reenergize the workday and counteract the effects of prolonged sitting. Can you do yoga at the office? Read on to learn yoga tips and sequences to practice right at your desk.

You may also want to know： How to Start a Yoga Practice

How Yoga Helps Office Workers

The benefits of brief yoga breaks throughout the workday include:

• Improved circulation – Movement and stretches stimulate blood flow reduced by sitting.
• Increased oxygenation – Yogic breathing enhances oxygen delivery to cells.
• Muscle release – Yoga alleviates tension from static postures and repetitive motions.
• Spinal realignment – Twists, folds, and extensions counteract hunching over a desk.
• Joint lubrication – Movement oils joints and stimulates synovial fluid.
• Reduced eyestrain – Palm rubbing relieves eye tension from screens.
• Mental clarity – Yogic breathing clears mind fog and improves focus.
• Stress relief – Poses reverse fight-or-flight signals activated by office stressors.

Even 5-10 minutes of yoga every hour renews energy and attentiveness when afternoon fatigue hits.

Chair Yoga Poses for the Office

Many yoga poses can be adapted for an office chair, including:

• Seated cat-cow – Gentle backbends and rounds.
• Shoulder rolls – Lift and rotate shoulders backward and down.
• Wrist stretches – Extend one arm forward, and flex the wrist up and down. Switch sides.
• Ankle circles – Lift the leg straight, and draw circles with pointed feet.
• Eye stretches – Look up, down, side-to-side, close, and rub palms gently.
• Modified twists – Use chair back to assist gentle trunk rotation.
• Hip openers – Cross the ankle over the opposite knee, and gently press down.
• Forward folds – Hinge forward at hips over legs, lengthening spine.

These simple movements stimulate and release tense areas that commonly develop in office environments.

Quick Yoga At the Office

Utilize spare space in your office or meeting rooms for flowing sequences:

• Sun salutations – Modify with a chair for support during the standing sequence.
• Downward dog – Hands on the wall, step feet back into an inverted “V” shape.
• Warrior I – Step one leg back, lunge down keeping front knee behind toes. Repeat on the other side.
• Crescent lunge – From down dog, step one foot forward, ground back heel. Raise arms overhead.
• Windmill – Hinge at hips, extend opposite arm and leg out parallel to the ground. Switch sides.
• Tree pose – Shift weight to one foot, press the sole of the other foot to the inner thigh, hands in prayer position.

These mobile sequences boost circulation, build heat, and bring added focus.

Breathwork for Office Resets

Mini breathwork practices throughout the day provide quick stress relief:

• Extended exhale – Slowly and fully exhale, relaxing the body.
• Alternate nostril breathing – Close one nostril, and inhale through the other. Exhale switching sides. Repeat.
• Kapalabhati – Short, pulsing exhales followed by passive inhale.
• 4-7-8 breathing – Inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, and exhale fully for 8. Repeat.
• Sitali breathing – Curl tongue lengthwise. Inhale through the curled tongue, then exhale normally.
• Lion’s breath – Inhale fully, then exhale powerfully through the mouth with tongue extended.

Simple pranayama techniques like these reset the nervous system and oxygenate the body and brain between tasks.

Establishing an Office Yoga Routine

To implement a consistent yoga practice:

• Schedule yoga breaks at specific intervals throughout your day. Mark them in your calendar.
• Enlist coworkers to join you for accountability and motivation.
• Ask your employer about offering on-site yoga classes during lunch or after work.
• Utilize phone apps or online videos when instructor-led classes aren’t available.
• Carve out spaces like meeting rooms, lobbies, or stairs for impromptu sequences.
• Start small – even 5 minutes here and there makes a difference over time.
• Be that catalyst – propose the idea of wellness spaces or regular yoga breaks.

With proven benefits for focus, energy levels, and injury prevention, bringing yoga to the office is a win-win for employee health and productivity.

Related Links：
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga