Stress reduction, back pain relief, better productivity and concentration, the benefits of yoga in the workplace are numerous. Indeed, many companies have understood this and are developing yoga classes for office workers. Moreover, sitting posture is the first factor of pain in the office. So, if your company doesn’t offer yoga classes, you can find some simple yoga poses to reduce muscle tensions, feel more relaxed and improve your day in this article.
Effects of a sedentary lifestyle on our health
The sedentary lifestyle affects many people who work in front of a computer or sit behind a desk. However, prolonged sitting can be particularly harmful to the body. Here you can find the common health problems related to a sedentary lifestyle:
- Muscle weakening: By sitting for long periods, the muscles are not solicited and become weakened. This muscular weakness affects our motivation to do other physical activities, which favors sedentarization.
- Heart disease: A sedentary lifestyle does not encourage good blood circulation. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.
- Weight gain: A sedentary lifestyle means consuming more calories than we burn, which results in weight gain.
- Sleep problems: Regular activity helps you fall asleep and stay asleep all night, so not getting regular exercise can affect the quality of your sleep.
To avoid these health concerns practicing yoga at the office and a physical activity can be a solution!
The main benefits of yoga in the workplace
Sitting for 4 to 8 hours is not natural for our bodies. Adding yoga in the workplace to your daily routine could brings you many benefits such as:
Yoga in the workplace to reduce stress and increase productivity
Evidence suggests that practicing yoga in the workplace can have a profound effect on reducing stress. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, “Yoga is commonly believed to positively influence mental health by reducing stress and anxiety levels, improving sleep, and promoting relaxation.” Indeed, improving mental health and reducing stress in the workplace with yoga can have a significant impact on your productivity. Besides, chronic stress is a huge issue, yet many people are not aware of the adverse effects caused by long-term stress. Yoga is an excellent way to deal with your stress and a perfect way to be healthy.
Improve concentration
Yoga has become a popular way to improve focus and improve overall health. Yoga can be practiced anywhere and doesn’t require any equipment. Furthermore, a key benefit of yoga is that it can be done at your desk when you need to deal with a stressful day and focus yourself.
Relieve back pain
If you work long hours in a row, you should seriously consider practicing yoga in the workplace to relieve your back pain. Moreover, the postures are designed to stretch and strengthen muscles as well as reduce the risk of injury. Therefore, yoga is a great way to ease back pain.
Postural correction
Sitting for long periods can cause spinal misalignments, leading to pain, muscle fatigue, and even heart disease. However, our health depends mainly on these vertebrae that support our body and influence the functioning of our organs. A good posture is therefore essential to be in good health. One of the virtues of yoga is to rebalance our spine through different poses. Thus, yoga for office workers can help correct the bad habits while working, like crossing your legs and bending the back to look at the computer screen. If you want to learn more about postural restoration, check our article: Posture Mind and Body Restoration through Meditation
Yoga for office workers: Example of postures to relax
Here you can find 3 easy seated yoga exercices to do at work :
Baddha Konasana, or the butterfly pose
- Headache Relief: This position can help relieve tension in your neck and head and thus reduce headaches.
- Suitable for the lower back: If you have back pain, this position will help relieve it.
- Reduces shoulder stress: You can eliminate this unnecessary burden by practicing the butterfly pose. It allows you to release tension after a tiring day at work.
Practice yoga in the workplace with the Sukhasana pose
- Improve concentration and productivity: The Sukhasana pose is ideal for office workers as it help you clear your mind and feel more soothed and relaxed.
Gomukhasana pose
- Postural correction: Gomukhasana avoids sciatica problems, opens the rib cage, releases stiffness in the shoulders, and straightens the back. This posture allows stretching the legs’ muscles and softening the joints of the hips and the knees. It reduces the heaviness of the legs.
Additional tips for practicing yoga at work:
If you are often immobile at work, incorporate yoga in the workplace into your routine. Here are some other tips to reduce your daily physical strain:
- Be sure to distribute your body weight evenly on both feet without tipping your body weight to one hip.
- Also, be careful not to lock your knees to avoid hyperextending your legs.
- During your workday, try to stretch regularly. For example, interlace your fingers and stretch your arms over your head, stretching from your toes to your fingertips.