3 Yoga Routines for People with an Office Job

Has the idea of doing yoga in your own workplace ever crossed your mind? With just a few minutes of relaxation, you'll enjoy more focus and vitality to fulfill your obligations.

Doing yoga helps to clear your mind, release stress and loosen your muscles. All of this means that yoga is an ideal alternative for people with office jobs. Therefore, we want to share some different yoga routines with you. They’re so easy to perform throughout your workday!

Working in an office means that you’ll be sitting down for several hours each day. Sometimes you’ll also have to endure high levels of stress. The mere fact you spend a lot of time in the same enclosed space can exhaust you mentally. For these reasons, yoga is a perfect ally to liberate your thoughts and take a breath.

Office yoga routines

People usually practice yoga in open spaces, especially where there’s lots of plants and silence. However, there are some poses you can easily do in spaces that aren’t as large, such as an office.

There are a lot of things that can fill your head with stress; things such as your job, your colleagues, the sound of the city and the bustle of the office. At the same time, long periods of physical inactivity can promote lethargy and cause your joints to harden. In this instance, doing different yoga routines may be exactly what you need to improve your mood and have peace of mind for the day.

1. Yoga routines with an office chair

Some offices are very small cubicles, and they don’t allow you to stand up and move without stumbling. If this is your case, this yoga routine is the perfect option to suit your needs, since you can do it calmly whilst sitting on your desk chair:

• Crescent moon: sitting on your chair, raise your hands and put your palms together above your head, as shown in the main image of this article. Lean towards your right side and take three deep breaths. Then, return to the center and repeat the steps with your left side.
• Eagle pose: sit with your back straight, stretch your arms in front of you and flex your elbows until your forearms are at a 90-degree angle. Then, cross one arm over the other and put your palms together. Hold this posture for five breaths.

• Column twist: start by sitting sideways on your chair and turn your torso, trying to grab the back of the chair with both hands. Stay in that position for three breaths and repeat on the other side.

2. Desk yoga routine

Since you must do your yoga routines inside the office, you can use elements around you as an advantage and not an obstacle. This routine includes some standing poses and other postures using your desk:

• Staff pose: stand two steps away from your desk, place your hands on the surface and lean forward while keeping your back straight. Hold that position for a few seconds and then return to the starting pose; repeat the movement four times.
• Upward facing dog pose: standing with your hands on the edge of the desk, stretch your arms and use them as a support point while you push your head backward and arch your back. Hold the position for five deep breaths.

• Child’s pose: sitting on your chair, cross your arms over the desk and lean your head softly on top of your arms while looking down. Count to ten while you inhale and exhale.

3. Standing yoga routine

This routine will help to activate your body and clear your mind. It includes several standing poses, but you don’t need a lot of space to do it. Any corner in your office where you can stand up and stretch your arms is enough space to perform the movements:

• Downward dog: stand with your feet apart and extend your arms behind you, intertwining your hands. Now, lean forward and push your arms in front of you as far as you can. Hold this pose for six breaths.

• Chair pose: standing with your back straight, bend your legs until they’re at a 90-degree angle, similar to a squat position. Extend your arms forward or up, then hold the position for three deep breaths and repeat the whole process twice to activate your muscles.

• Warrior I pose: stand with your feet apart and extend your arms upwards, making sure your palms meet. Now, step forward and flex one leg, leaving your back leg stretched out. Take three deep breaths and then switch legs.

Taking a few moments to do a couple of yoga routines at work is a highly beneficial habit for your body, and on top of that, it also holds benefits for your workday. Don’t wait any longer and try out these yoga routines!