Having a good stretch once or twice a day feels good and can help prevent injuries (flexible muscles can do more), improve your posture (and as a result help with back pain), increase blood and nutrients to your muscles, and help you to feel less stressed.
Here’s what I do:
Spinal Stretch
Lie on your back, bring one knee to your chest and then across your body. Push your knee to the ground lightly with the opposite hand. So your right knee will go over to the left side of your body with your left hand pushing your knee. Extend the opposite arm out and turn your head toward that arm. Hold this for at least 30 seconds. Then stretch the other side.
Forward bend
Sit with your legs straight out in front of you stretch your arms up to the sky and then bend forward as far as you can to you feel a moderate stretch. Hold for 10-30secs.
Spinal Twist
Still sitting with your legs in front of you, bend one knee to your chest then twist your body to look over the shoulder of your bent knee and hug your bent leg.
Other quick stretches you can do at your desk
- Clasp your hands behind you and pull back to stretch your chest.
- Hold your arm in front of your body and stretch it into your chest
- Stretch your neck from side to side or do neck rolls
I bet you are feeling better already!