Neck Rotation
Sit up straight in a chair. Turn your head to the extreme right and return it to normal position; then turn to the extreme left and return to normal again. Repeat four times. “Turning the head to the sides helps to contract the muscles and returning to normal position helps to relax them. This exercise also helps prevent headaches, since the nerves and blood vessels in the neck go to the head and brain,” says a spokesperson from True Yoga.
Hip Flexor Stretch
From a lunge position, gently place one knee on the ground (on top of a towel or cushion if it hurts the knee). Keep the front knee at 90 degrees, abs braced for a punch, and glutes (butt) activated. Push the hip with the lowered knee down and forward, and get a tremendous stretch on the front of the hip. “This stretch helps you work on the common muscular imbalances that most desk-bound people have,” says Ian Tan of Ritual.
Scapular Retraction
Pull your shoulders back and feel the scapular pinching towards each other, then release. “Prolonged use of computer also results in rounding forward of our shoulders, putting strain on our shoulders as well as neck and upper back. By retracting our scapular, we open up our chest and release the tension in the neck and upper back,” says Dr. Deborah Wong of Breathe Pilates.
