Yoga for Office Workers

By Sangeetha Saran

The modern office worker has a lot to be thankful for from retirement plans and health care options to Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) and other perks geared toward making working life a little more healthy and less stressful. Even as nice as all of that might be, it still doesn't repair some of the health and comfort issue associated with desk jobs. This is where yoga can help!

Posture

We all know what terrific benefit yoga can provide in terms of correcting poor posture and the damage it can cause. For those whose lower backs are on fire after a long day at the office, their seated posture can easily be the culprit. A regimen of beginner level yoga postures and breathing exercises can help put this right without having a chiropractor involved. Some may find the Hero Pose (Virasana) quite helpful in creating good posture.

Weight Gain

No one ever wants to admit that their job is making them obese. Yet, working at a desk does not require as much physical labor in comparison to jobs of the past. Unfortunately, obesity and weight gain can open them up to a world of unnecessary health issues, including high blood pressure and diabetes. Learning to incorporate yoga into their lives can help combat weight gain due to a sedentary lifestyle. This can be done through scheduled classes either before or after work or by bringing yoga into the office during lunchtime or other regular breaks. While yoga may not strip away the pounds, it will help tone, strengthen, and maintain what lies beneath them.

Lowering Stress

A little stress can help focus the mind. A lot of it can cause unwanted consequences that affect both physical and mental health. To keep stress below toxic levels, people in high-stress positions would do themselves a big favor by adding yoga to their weekly, if not daily, routines. According to an article in Complementary Therapies in Medicine (2007), yoga was better than other relaxation techniques for reducing stress and anxiety levels. Many students find the Child Pose (Balasana) and the Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) both quite conducive to stress reduction.

Yoga is not just for athletes and the overly health-conscious anymore. It is a discipline for which many people can benefit; especially those whose jobs have them desk-bound much of the day. Yoga can be used to improve posture, combat weight gain and relieve stress, all of which improve the quality of life of those employed in offices.

© Copyright 2016 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division

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