Desk Friendly Stretches

Do you spend all day sitting at a desk?  Or even driving for long periods of time?  If so, I’m sure you can understand that this can be hard on your body.  People with desk jobs often come to physical therapy with complaints of neck pain, low back pain, numbness and tingling in their hands as well as headaches. Taking a few minutes to get up, move and stretch can really help break up the stress of a static posture. 

Here are a few easy stretches you can do while sitting, I recommend trying to either stretch in your chair and adjust your posture or stand up and take a little stroll every hour.  Sitting or standing in the same position for more than an hour can be really hard on your body.    

1. Neck Rolls: slowly roll your neck to the side, back, to the other side and down and repeating a few times clockwise and then counterclockwise.  This should feel like a nice stretch in all directions.

2. Shoulder blade squeezes: pinch your shoulder blades together and hold for 5 seconds, repeat 10x.  These are easy to do while you’re typing but can help reset your posture and open your chest.

3. Trunk twists: take one hand to your opposite knee and the other hand behind your hip and rotate your upper body keeping your lower body still.  Hold for a few seconds and repeat on each side 3 times. 

4. Side bends: Reach your right arm over your head and to the left, hold a few seconds and repeat on the other side.  You should feel a nice stretch through the side of your trunk into your arms. 

5. Figure 4: Place your right ankle on your left knee, you can lean forward and push down gently on your right knee to feel a stretch in the right hip.  Hold this for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

6. Hamstring stretch: While seated, straighten one leg with your heel on the floor and lean your trunk forward to feel a stretch in the back of your thigh, hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

These are all easy stretches you can do from your desk chair or while at a stoplight during a long drive. There are many other great stretches out there but taking a few minutes every hour to stretch will help with tightness and pain.  My favorite break from a lot of sitting would definitely be going for a quick walk. If you’re having more than just a little discomfort sitting at work, I recommend going to see a physical therapist for a full evaluation and more personal treatment.