Why do Office Yoga? Office Yoga Carol Hirsh Health and Kinesiology Fall 2013
Mar 31, 2015
Why do Office Yoga?
Office YogaCarol Hirsh Health and KinesiologyFall 2013
What has brought you here today?What has brought you here today?
What is the cause for stiffness or pain?
• Poor Posture• Static Position• Lack of exercise• Poor fitting chair
or desk• Poor diet• Stress
What can Office Yoga do for me?
• Begin to be more tuned in to your body position
• Start a yoga routine daily or on the hour
• Get the chair/desk you need
• Make a step of step change in your diet
• Respond to stress differently
Where is your body feeling the stress?• Head• Neck• Shoulders• Upper Back• Middle Back• Lower Back• Hips• Hands & Fingers• Eyes• Legs
Warm – up Movement• Stabilize your stance – take heels off • Relaxing music is optional• Clear Area for freedom of movement• Props for comfort and alignment such as towel
or strap • Privacy to enhance experience
Breathe: Revive and Renew1. Sit Tall with the eyes closed; one
hand on the abdomen and one hand at the upper chest
2. Breathe through Nose if possible3. Fill the lungs from the mouth,
throat, upper chest, and all the way down to the lower abdomen
4. Let the abdomen relax and extend out away from the spine
5. Release the breathe slowly out of the nose
6. Release the breathe upward allowing the abdomen to press inward toward the spine
7. Pause before taking another breathe
8. Repeat until you are revived and relaxed
Target the Area of Stress or Discomfort
NeckWarm-ups1. Head Up and Down2. Head Turn Right and
Left3. Head Look at Right
Foot, Head Look at Left Foot (not shown)
4. Head Side to Side5. Head Gentle Circles
Right and Left6. Chin Level Tucks with
Isometric Resistance
Shoulder Warm-ups1. Rotate Shoulders Right
and Left 2. Rotate Forward then
Backward3. Roll Shoulders Together
Backward4. Roll Shoulder Together
Forward5. Shrug the Shoulders to
Ears then Release6. Squeeze the Shoulder
Blades Together and Release
Hand and Finger Warm-ups
1. Wrist Rolls, not shown
3. Open, Spread, & Ripple
2. Hyper-Extend, Extend Wrists
4. Hyper-Extend Single Fingers and Thumb, not shown
Seated Toro Warm-ups
1. Twists
2. Cross-Knee Hip Fold
3. Seated Warrior Lunge5. Forward Fold
4. Overhead Stretch
Torso Warm-Ups
1. Cat 2. Cow
3. Clasp Hands Overhead Side Torso Stretch
4. Standing Sweeping Arm Reach
Leg- Hip Warm-ups
1. Leg Extension
2. Hip Opener
3. Hip Lift Flexion
Foot Warm-ups
1. Foot Extension 2. Foot Flexion
3. Foot Rotations, not shown 4. Toe Ripples, not shown
Standing Leg Warm-ups
1 a . Straddle Stance 1 b. Butt Out Squat
3. Single Leg-Curl Thigh Stretch
2. Hamstring Standing or seated
Chair Sun Salutations1. Upright Hands Together2. Overhead Arms Reach3. Forward Bend4. Slight Flat Back Lift5. Right Leg Extend6. Right Knee Tuck7. Left Leg Extend8. Left Leg Tuck9. Lift Chin Slight Back Arch10. Forward Bend11. Slight Flat Back Lift12. Overhead Arms Reach13. Upright Hands Together
Modify for Comfort and Safety
Standing Chair Sun Salutation
1. Stand W/ Hands Together1. Overhead Arms Slight
Backbend2. Forward Bend
Head Toward Chair3. Right Leg Lunge4. Step to Flat Back5. Slight Arch Extended Plank6. Step to Flat Back7. Left Leg Lunge8. Forward Bend Head Toward
Chair9. Overhead Arms Slight
Backbend10. Stand W/ Hands Together
Modify for Comfort and Safety
Breathe, Revive, Renew
Relax / Meditate / Focus• Set a mindfulness bell or
calendar reminder to take your Yoga Break• Have all you props at
hands reach to take your break• Complete your yoga
exercises with 1-5 minutes of relaxation, meditation, or focus
Resources
Hirsh Office Yoga PowerPoint http://austincc.edu/hirsh
Yoga Journal Office Yoga http://yogajournal.com/officeyoga
Cardiac Yoga http://cardiacyoga.com
Living Words Chair Yoga http://livingwordsofwisdom.com/chair-yoga.html