office

Office Pilates–Neck

Our neck and shoulders carry a great deal of tension throughout the day. Staring down at a computer all day doesn’t help. So take three minutes and turn away from your computer today, even if you just shift your seat slightly.

Sit up tall, especially if you notice you’ve been slouching and do a few head nods–tip your chin to the chest and then lift your chin to look up to where the ceiling meets the wall. Repeat a few times. Then tilt your right ear toward your right shoulder to stretch the side of your neck. Hold for a few deep breaths and repeat on the other side.

You body will thank you for the reprieve. Plus taking little breaks actually tends to make you work better long term. If you’re frustrated or stuck on a project, use that moment to take a little stretch.

Office Pilates–NeckMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:04-04:00

Office Pilates–Rib Cage Isolation

This exercise is a little like last week’s exercise where you isolated the hip joint, except it’s a little more challenging to isolate the rib cage. The range of motion is a lot smaller too. As always, if you tend to stand a lot at work have a seat for this and if you tend to sit go ahead and stand.

Let your hands rest on your hips, stand (or sit) up nice and tall, legs hip distance apart.

Start by trying to rock you ribcage from side to side. Your shoulders will probably move with you, but try not to let your hips come with you. It’s not a big motion.

Then rock your rib cage from front to back, again, focus on stabilizing the hips.

Just like last week, try to make little circles with just your rib cage. Reverse the direction.

Cycle through the three directions for five minutes, breathing deeply the entire time.

Then it’s time to head back to work, hopefully a little more refreshed!

Office Pilates–Rib Cage IsolationMaggie Downie2017-09-12T19:32:46-04:00

Office Pilates–HIP TENSION

If you sit all day at the office your hips can get pretty tight without you even realizing it. Here’s a fun way to relieve some of that tension that feels great and brings out the kid in you.

Stand up with your feet hip distance apart. Let your arms fall to your sides or place your hands on your hips.

Now make circles with your hips. Think about the motion you would make if you were using a hula hoop and make it bigger. Feel the stretch through the front of your hip joint as your pelvis pushes forward. Circle in one direction 10 times

Reverse the direction of your circle. Repeat 10 times or until is stops feeling good or you stop having fun.

Take your time and enjoy it. Remember when you’re done you just have to get back to work. You can do this more than once a day and it will loosen up your hips and lower back.

Office Pilates–HIP TENSIONMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:04-04:00

Office Pilates–Back Extensions

Very often, whether you stand or sit all day, by mid afternoon, if not before, your shoulders start to roll forward and you begin to slouch. It’s just your body getting tired and conforming to life in front of a computer or life looking down at things below you as you fill out paperwork or help a student at his desk.

So this week take some time to counteract that forward roll. Try some back extensions. You don’t have to get up from your desk and you can do them where ever you are standing. It won’t look odd. It will just look like you’re taking a little stretch. Here’s what to do:

Stand up or sit up nice and tall, lengthening through your ears.
Take a deep inhale to prepare.
Exhale extend your upper back backwards. Try to move from the base of your rib cage only. Your hips shouldn’t move and your neck shouldn’t do all the work. It might help to think of it like pushing your breast bone forward. Keep your neck in line with your spine the whole time. Pull your shoulder blades back […]

Office Pilates–Back ExtensionsMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:05-04:00

Office Pilates: Stretch Those Hip Flexors

If you have to sit all day long, whether you notice or not, your hip flexors probably get really tight. Now and again they could probably do with a little stretch. Try this stretch to ease your hip flexors and give you a break from paperwork.

Get down on your knees (ideally on a carpeted surface). Then bring one leg up so that you are on one knee and one foot (as if you were proposing). Inch your front leg (the one with the foot on the ground) forward so that you have room to bend (from the knee) forward into that leg. Make sure you keep your front knee behind your toes when you bend forward. That will protect your knee. You should be able to tap the ball of your foot, not just the toes. If you can’t, you might want to move your foot forward more. Hold that stretch. You should feel it through the front of your back leg. And it should feel glorious (or at least pretty good). Repeat on the other side.

Office Pilates: Stretch Those Hip FlexorsMaggie Downie2014-08-04T18:07:05-04:00