Take Your Yoga to Work

By Paige Greenfield

Prevent the pains caused by working at a desk

The Pain: Feet and ankles

The Cause: Unless you are in senatorial smart shoes, “so much of your body weight is being pushed to the front of your feet and the pointy styles we wear shove our feet into unnaturally narrow spaces,” Weidemann says. Heels throw off your entire skeletal system because your foundation—your feet—don’t have a solid connection with the ground.

The Fix: Remove your shoes. Next, sitting in a chair, cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Weave the fingers of your left hand from the bottom of your foot up between your toes as if you were holding hands with your foot. Begin making circles with your foot. Make 10 circles in each direction. Next, carefully move your fingers back out and hold onto the top of your foot. Bend your toes back towards your shins and then down toward your heel. Do this 5 times in each direction. Now, using your thumbs, gently massage the bottom of your foot, especially the arches. After wishing your company gave hourly foot rubs, switch to the next foot.


The Pain: Neck and shoulder 

The Cause: Typically, we slouch—we don’t sit. Your head is as heavy as a bowling ball, so when you push, drop, or tilt your head forward to squint at your strategic plan, your neck is bearing a lot of weight.

The Fix: Stand with feet hip-width apart. Place your hands on the corners of your lower back with your fingers pointing toward the floor. Rotate your shoulders up, back, and down, bringing your elbows close together without pressing your hips, shoulders, or head forward. Take a deep inhale. Now, root your feet firmly into the floor as you lift up through crown of head and bend back very slightly. Press your elbows closer, lifting up through your heart. Hold for 5 deep breaths.

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