Reading this at your desk? How does your back feel? Your shoulders? Neck?
If your answer is tight — and even if it isn't — stay with me here to smooth out those kinks and shift gears into feeling tranquil yet alert. I’m talking stretches at your desk, which truthfully are so easy to do that you don't need much guidance. But it's always nice to get a nudge and a sense of where to start. Plus I’ve got some little-known science to share.
First, let's establish that
stretching is good for you. I'm not talking the intense stretching gymnasts do in search of uber flexibility or the sustained stretching some yoga practitioners do to strengthen connective tissue.
I'm talking normal stretching, the reachy stuff you do automatically when you wake up or after you've been sitting cross-legged for too long.
Even so, and in all those aforementioned circumstances, stretching is more complex, thorough and nuanced than most of us acknowledge. For starters, when you stretch, you don't stretch just one muscle or one body part. This is because your whole body is connected through a fascial web. That's one reason why rolling your foot on a tennis ball can release tension in your temples.
Also, when you stretch, you stretch fascia, epithelial tissues, neural tissues
and muscular tissues. That's not all: Stretching those aforementioned tissues can even change how your DNA expresses itself, according to a new and growing field called
epigenetics.
In sum: A lot goes on when you stretch!
But, again, on a basic and relatable level, stretching wakes you up when you're flagging and calms you down when you're anxious. You know this instinctively, which is why you do it, though research backing your post-stretch serenity can’t hurt: Stretching has been shown to lower blood pressure in those with normal to high readings or stage 1 hypertension, according to a
study published in the December 2020 issue of
Journal of Physical Activity and Health.
Here are 4 easy stretches you can do at your desk, whether seated or standing
. It’s good to do each stretch for at least two breaths, and you don’t need to do each for more than four breaths.
Desk Stretches You Can Do Anytime
1. Spinal extension-flexion
Place your hands on the edge of your desk with your body far enough from it to create 90-degree angles at each elbow. With each inhale, press your rib cage and chest toward the desk and lift your head then look at the ceiling (spinal extension). With each exhale, draw your belly button to your spine, spread your shoulder blades apart, and dip your chin a little (spinal flexion).
Consider this: If you tend to round your back or hunch your shoulders, skip the mild spinal flexion offered here, and with each exhale instead return your spine to its natural, normal curves, with added lift through the crown of your head.
2. Overhead leans
With an inhale, lift both arms overhead. With an exhale, drop one arm down and lean to its side. Switch sides, of course.
Consider this: You can incorporate a satisfying neck stretch with each exhale by turning your head down and out a bit toward the side you’re leaning.
3. Spinal twists
If you're seated, with each inhale lift the crown of your head in order to lengthen your spine. With each exhale, twist to one side using the corresponding hand to grab the back of your chair and the other hand to hold the outer part of the thigh or knee toward which you’re twisting. Do the same for your other side.
If you're standing, face away from your desk. With each inhale lift the crown of your head in order to lengthen your spine. With each exhale, twist to one side using the corresponding hand to grab the edge of your desk, and rest your other hand on your belly. Do the same for your other side.
Consider this: If you have osteopenia or osteoporosis, grab the sides of your chair instead of back of your chair, twisting only a little. For a standing twist, keep both hands on your hips and twist just a little.
4. Forearm-to-finger lengthening
With each inhale, interlace your fingers and press the heels of your hands against each other at chest level, then lift them as high as your forehead while pressing your elbows toward each other. With each exhale, draw your interlaced fingers back to the level of your chest, elbows moving out, and separate your palms then press them away from your chest, fingers still interlaced, as you straighten your arms.
Consider this: If you sit most of the day, do this stretch while standing in order to incorporate more movement in your stretching sequence and to build balance for your body.
Keep in mind
Whether or not you stretch at your desk, standing for extended periods of time — and, in turn, using a standing desk for extended periods of time — fatigues your lower back. To avoid low-back pain:
-
Switch between standing and sitting throughout your day.
- Rest one foot on a short stool when you stand for a prolonged period.
Mitra Malek, a former Yoga Journal editor, dove into the detailed world of stretching when she created content focused on the course Science of Stretch by anatomy expert Tom Myers, a pioneer in the study and understanding of fascia.
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