Take Your Yoga to Work

By Paige Greenfield

Prevent the pains caused by working at a desk

The Pain: Eyes

The Cause: “You may be unaware of it, but while staring at your monitor or reading, you probably tense up your face,” Wiedemann says. Plus, recent studies say hours in front of the glowing computer screen may fatigue your optic nerve, which transmits images to your brain.

The Fix: Turn away from your computer so your eyes are focused on a completely different object. Sit up in your chair with your chin parallel to the floor. Now, without moving any other part of your body, look up to 12 o’clock, over to 3 o’clock, down at 6 o’clock, over to 9 o’clock, and up to 12 again. Do that 5 times in each direction.


The Pain: Back

The Cause: When you’re sitting at your desk, the discs in your back are bearing three times more weight than when you’re standing. The result? Spinal fluid—which keeps your spine flexible instead of brittle—gets squeezed out. This means discs can slip out of place, rub up against each other, and cause excruciating pain. To top it off, a brittle spine increases your risk of injury because there’s less fluid to act as a shock absorber, which means bending down and lifting your 5-pound purse can cause a lot of damage one day. The remedy? “Twisting poses strengthen and lengthen your spine to create more space,” Wiedemann says. This allows fresh fluid to flood in, relieving compression and bringing sweet relief.

The Fix: Keep your chair facing forward, but turn your entire body to the right. Keep your thighs parallel and knees over your ankles. Next, place your hands on the back of your chair. As you inhale, lengthen up through the crown of your head. Now, rotate from your belly, ribcage and shoulders (but keep your shoulders relaxed and chin parallel to the floor.) To enhance the twist, push with your right hand and pull with your left hand.

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