5 Stretches You Can Do at Your Desk

As the world continues to change and adapt to COVID-19, millions of us are practicing social distancing, and many of you may find yourself spending more time studying and working at home this fall. According to the Health Line, research shows that poor posture and repetitive motion can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. Sitting in the same position for a prolonged period of time, can cause a lot of stress on the body, specifically for muscles in the neck, back, and shoulders. Stretching provides many benefits, including making you feel good, allowing your body to feel less stressed and it will refresh you, making you feel less tired. That's why we have compiled a list of five stretches that you build into the habit while sitting at your desk or work station. Please note that these desk stretches are only recommendations. If you feel any pain or discomfort, seek professional medical attention.

1. Neck stretch. Being mindful that the neck can be quite sensitive, relax your neck and carefully begin to lean your head forward. You can now slowly begin to rotate your head from one side to another. Repeat the same rotation on the other side when you are done, relax the neck again and repeat this neck stretch three times.

2. Reach For The Sky You'll start to understand why this next stretch has the name that it does. This stretch is meant to stretch out the muscles in your back. First, you'll want to interlock both hands behind your head, with your palms facing upward towards the sky or ceiling in most cases. As you reach upwards, you should start to feel a soothing stretch along your back and spine. Ensure that your shoulders remain relaxed throughout this stretch. You can hold it for 10-15 seconds then repeat this for a few rounds.

3. Wrist Stretch Perhaps you are a keyboard ninja, and you carry a lot of tension from straining your wrists while you work. This next stretch requires you to press the inside of your palms together in front of your chest and hold this pose for 15 seconds. Now you will do a reverse wrist stretch by pushing the back of your arms together and holding this for another 15 seconds. You can repeat this stretch 5 times.

4. Forward Stretch This next stretch is also called the upper back stretch or the rhomboid stretch. First, clasp your hands in front of you, lower your head in alignment with your arms. Next, you press forward and hold that position for 10 to 30 seconds.

5. Calf Raises If you get tired of remaining seated, you can take a break and try this last exercise on our list. Stand up, keep your legs straight and raise to the ball of your foot, flexing those calf muscles!

We hope you enjoyed this list of desk stretches that you can do right from home.