Guest post by Caspar K Ingham from Tao Yogi
Whether you’re working from home or transitioning back to the office, sitting at a desk all day can cause strain on the body. In this guest post, Caspar runs through some easy daily exercises to ease tension in the neck.
Introduction
Sitting at a desk for a minimum of eight hours a day is no mean feat! Especially when you are working from a makeshift workspace at home which can be not ideal for your posture and alignment.
Help is at hand though, there are a few very easy exercises that can relieve aches and pains from sitting for long periods of time at a desk. First things first though, make sure your alignment and posture is as good as it can be before embarking on your “work from home career”.
This article deals with neck exercises with instructional videos on how to do them below. Always check with a qualified medical professional before you conduct any exercise, especially if you have a pre-existing condition.
The benefits of Tai Chi
I recommend just a few minutes two or three times a day to start off with. In our martial arts school, we start from the top down with exercises. There are also shoulder, hip, knee, and leg exercises. These form part of our basic warm-up routine we do every day before practicing our Tai Chi or “Mindful Movement”.
Tai Chi has been developed over thousands of years, with the exercises honed over several millennia to be the most effective health and wellbeing practices. Its not surprising that in a recent tv programme Tai Chi was tested against the benefits of doing a regular Zumba class. Tai Chi was found to be just as beneficial, even though the movements are slow flowing exercises! The benefit of this is that Tai Chi, or Mindful Movement, can be practiced into our senior years and you get the benefit of the exercise without needing to raise the heartbeat too much or strain muscles!
Daily exercises
The simplest exercises can often be the most effective. When you practice these gentle movements be sure to just relax for a moment before you start and take a few deep abdominal breaths. Sit in stillness and tune into your body. While sitting in an upright posture simply start to move the neck slowly and gently as the video below demonstrates.
Concentrate your mind on the joint you are moving, in this case the neck. If you experience pain or dizziness stop practicing the exercise.
Relief of Stiff Neck Exercise One:
Relief of Stiff Neck Exercise Two:
About Tao Yogi
Caspar is group leader for Mindful Movement, Taiji & Qi Gong classes. He provides wellbeing at work sessions for employees at home or in the office. If you have any questions regarding these exercises or would like to join an online class, book a one-to-one session or free taster for your company’s employees do get in touch with Caspar.
