If You Sit All Day, Unwind Every Tight Muscle With These 12 Expert-Recommended Yoga Poses

Published on 7/26/2019 at 2:10 PM

Sitting all day does a number on your body. Your hips are tensed and flexed, your back is knotted, your lower body sore and numb. The best thing that I've found to relieve all the tightness and soreness (because standing desks can only do so much) is yoga. Melting into a relaxing sequence at the end of the day renews and rejuvenates my whole body. My workouts feel better. Going to work feels better. A little bit of yoga completely refreshes my muscles and my mindset.

If you're hunched over a computer or a phone all day or stuck shifting around at an uncomfortable desk, these next 12 poses are for you. They're hand selected by six different yoga teachers as the best possible stretches to relieve the pain and soreness of a sedentary job. Feel free to do each pose one by one or as a sequence, moving slowly and mindfully and modifying as needed. Breathe into the tightness, be patient with your body, and feel your muscles unknot, one by one by one.

Standing Forward Fold

Standing Forward Fold "directly stretches the muscles that are compressed while you're seated all day," said Jade Alexis, Aaptiv yoga instructor. This simple, gentle stretch targets your hamstrings, hip flexors, and calves, and sends fresh blood flow to your brain.

Begin at the front of your mat, feet hips-width apart and hands on your hips. Inhale and reach your arms straight above you.
As you exhale, engage your abs, and fold forward with a straight back. Tuck your chin in toward your chest, relax your shoulders, and extend the crown of the head toward the floor to create a long spine. Shift your weight forward into your toes, straightening your legs as much as possible.
Let your hands hang toward the floor or use them to cup your opposite elbows.
Hold here for 30 seconds.

If you're at work, you can also do a Seated Forward Fold variation, said Liza Janda, a certified yoga instructor at Yoga Janda. She recommended dropping into this stretch whenever you're feeling stressed, tired, or achy in your lower back.

Sit close to the edge of your chair with your knees hips-width apart.
Inhale and lengthen your spine.
Fold forward over your thighs, tilting your tailbone toward the back of the chair.
Allow your head and neck to completely relax and let your arms hang down to the floor.
Hold here for 30 seconds.

Downward-Facing Dog

Downward-Facing Dog stretches and strengthens your entire body, Jade told POPSUGAR, and especially everything that's sore and tight from sitting all day: your hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and back.

Come onto your hands and knees with your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips.
Inhale as you tuck your toes under your heels. Then exhale to lift your hips, coming into the classic upside-down "V" shape called Downward-Facing Dog.
Spread your fingers wide and create a straight line between your middle fingers and elbows. Work on straightening your legs and lowering your heels toward the ground. Relax your head between your arms, and direct your gaze through your legs or up toward your belly button.
Hold for 30 seconds.

Cat-Cow Pose

Ava Johanna, a Los Angeles-based yoga and meditation instructor and host of The Alchemized Life podcast, recommended the classic Cat-Cow pose as a way to open your chest and shoulders and mobilize your spine. "It helps with posture and relaxing the shoulders to counteract slouching from being on our phones or computers all day," she told POPSUGAR.

Begin with your hands and knees on the floor and your spine in a flat, neutral position. Make sure your knees are under your hips and your wrists are under your shoulders.
Exhale, round your spine up toward the ceiling, and imagine you're pulling your belly button up toward your spine. Tuck your chin toward your chest, and let your neck release. This is your cat-like shape.
On your inhale, arch your back and let your belly relax. Lift your head and tailbone up toward the sky without putting any unnecessary pressure on your neck. This is the cow portion of the pose.
Continue flowing back and forth from Cat Pose to Cow Pose, and connect your breath to each movement — inhale for Cow Pose and exhale on Cat Pose.
Repeat for 10 rounds.

Pigeon

Tight hips are a common affliction for those of us who sit for a good part of the day. Pigeon pose counteracts the pain from rounding your back in a chair and releases tension, both mentally and physically. "People tend to hold a lot of stress and emotions in the hip area," Liza explained. Pigeon pose can release feelings of stress and tension and help you relax after a long day. Liza recommended warming up with a quick five-minute walk before getting into the stretch.

Sit with your right knee bent and your left leg extended behind you. Pull the right heel in toward your left hip, or if your hips are more open, inch your right foot away from you. Make sure your left hip is always pointing down toward the mat. If it begins to open up toward the ceiling, draw your right foot back in toward your body.
Stay here with your hands resting on your right thigh or your hips, or walk your hands out in front of you, allowing your torso to rest over your right knee.
Hold here, breathing into any areas of tightness and tension for at least one minute and as long as five minutes.
Repeat this pose with your left knee bent.

If you're at work, try a Standing Pigeon variation.

Figure Four

A Figure Four stretch is amazing for opening up the outsides of your hips and stretching your lower back, Ava told POPSUGAR. Melting into this pose will help alleviate any back pain you have from sitting all day. It can be done lying down as pictured or seated at your desk.

Lie on your back with both legs in the air. Place your right ankle on your left thigh above your knee.
Reach your right hand through the open space created by your right leg and grab your left hand, which is reaching around the outside of your left thigh. Slowly bend your left knee toward your chest. You should feel a stretch on the outside of your right hip.
Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

To do this stretch at your desk, bring your ankle to your opposite thigh while seated. Fold forward to increase the stretch.

Bridge Pose

Bridge pose opens up your chest and shoulders while releasing your hip flexors, which can help relieve back pain, explained Abby Vernon, E-RYT 500-certified yoga instructor and lead of teacher development for YogaSix. Sitting for long periods of time causes your spine to curve and hunch, she told POPSUGAR. "Bridge counteracts that by helping to build muscular strength and stability in the upper back muscles."

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet hips-width apart.
Lift your hips off the ground by pressing into your feet.
For a deeper stretch, bring your shoulder blades together and clasp your hands together underneath you. You can also do "robot arms" by bending your elbows to 90 degrees, facing your palms toward each other and fingers pointing to the sky.
Hold for 30 seconds. You can also pulse with your breath: on your exhale, lower to hover your hips above the ground; on your inhale, lift back up.

Legs Up the Wall

This resting pose is a favorite of yoga instructor Sienna Creasy, area spa director for Hilton Rose Hall and Jewel Resorts. It refreshes your circulation while gently stretching out your hamstrings. For an added bonus, she recommended bringing the bottoms of your feet together and opening up your knees like in a Butterfly pose, which will stretch out your groin, thighs, and hips.

Place a folded bolster, blanket, or pillow against a wall.
Sit down as close as you can to the wall next to the blanket. Lie down on your back, place your feet on the wall with your knees bent, and scoot your body over so that your bottom and lower back are on the blanket.
Adjust your body so that your butt is touching the wall, then place your feet straight up, resting your heels on the wall. You can keep your arms by your sides, or rest your palms underneath your head.
Close your eyes, and allow your entire body to relax, feeling gravity pulling you down as the wall and blanket support you.
Hold like this for several minutes or longer.

Wide-Legged Forward Bend

This hip-opening stretch also releases the muscles in your legs, which become tense after sitting all day, Sienna said. It can help soothe lower back pain and tension headaches as well, she told POPSUGAR.

Stand with your legs wider than your hips with your heels turned out wider than your toes.
Fold your torso over your legs, pressing into the outsides of your feet and keeping your inner arches lifted.
To increase the stretch, reach for your ankles and gently draw your chest towards your thighs.
For a more relaxed position, fold your arms and grab your opposite elbows, letting your body hang down.
Hold for 30 seconds.

Standing Side Bend

"This pose lengthens the entire length of your body from toe tips to fingertips," said Heather Larivee, a Kripalu-certified yoga teacher and CEO of wellness and management consulting company Sparkflo. She described it as "a wonderful counter-pose to sitting," stretching out all the muscles in your legs, sides, and arms.

Stand with your ankles crossed. For a gentler stretch, stand with your feet under your hips.
Reach your right arm up and grab your right wrist with your left hand.
Gently pull your right hand to the left.
Hold and breathe deeply for six to eight breaths.
Uncross your legs and repeat on the other side.

You can do this stretch at your desk by sitting up tall and bending to either side, focusing on the upper body stretch.

Standing Chest Opener

Hunching at a desk leaves your chest, arms, and shoulders tight and crunched. Heather recommended this simple chest opener to relieve that pain. It's a "baby back bend," she said, "a nice way to create spaciousness in the body."

Stand with your feet hips-width apart.
Raise your arms to shoulder height, then spin your hands so your thumbs face the ground.
Exhale as your drop your arms behind your hips. Clasp your hands together or hold a yoga strap.
Slowly lift your arms up away from your hips, keeping them behind your back. Push your chest forward and pull your shoulders down and away from your ears.
Hold the pose for six to eight breaths.
Stand with your feet hips-width distance apart. Interlace your hands behind your back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to stretch your chest. Keeping your legs straight, bend at the hips, tucking your chin and bringing your hands over your head.
Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.

If you experience any pain or discomfort in your shoulders, neck, or back, ease out of the pose.

Chair Pose

The aptly-named Chair pose "mimics a seated position," Jade told POPSUGAR, "while forcing better posture and toning the muscles that should be used while actually seated upright." Bonus: it can also aid your digestion, Jade said.

Stand with your feet together, big toes touching.
Bend your knees and lower your hips as you raise your arms overhead, tucking in your tailbone like you're sitting in a chair. You should be able to see your toes when you look down. If you can't, sit back farther.
Hold here for 30 seconds.

Supported Fish Pose

Supported Fish pose is a great way to end your yoga sequence. Liza recommended it as a way to correct your posture and counteract neck soreness from bending over a phone or computer. "My students love this restorative pose," she told POPSUGAR. "It really opens the chest and shoulders and is so relaxing — a real tension reliever."

Lie on your mat with your back flat on the floor. Place a block beneath your midback and another beneath your head.
Bring your arms close to your sides, palms facing down. Keeping your butt on the floor, inhale as you arch your back, pressing your hands and forearms into the ground.
Keeping your legs strong, hold for five breaths, then relax your back.