July 29, 2010

Fitness at home and play

Deskercises!

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

* Coming soon

Deskercises!

You don’t have to turn your classroom or office into a gym to
fit a stretching routine into your day. Here are some great
‘yoga’ stretches you can do, right at your desk.

Neck stretch 1
Neck stretch 2
Eye relaxer
Hand stretch
Finger stretch
Shoulder stretch
Shoulder blade pinch
Chest stretch
Side stretch
Calf raises
Buttocks squeeze
Back stretch
Cat stretch for lower back
Squats
Full body stretch

Neck stretch 1:

Sit forward on your chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor
Extend your upper body and drop your chin onto your chest
Place your right hand on the left side of your head and gently pull your head away from your shoulder
Hold and breathe, stretching from the base of your skull to your shoulder
Repeat by gently pulling the right side of your head with your left hand

Neck stretch 2:

Sit upright on your chair, keep your head upright and place the palm of one hand against your forehead
Push forward with your head while resisting with your hand and hold for a few breaths
Then clasp your hands behind your head and push your head backwards while resisting with your hands

Eye relaxer:

Sit upright on your chair, relax your shoulders, facial muscles, jaw and tongue
Circle your eyes clockwise eight times, then repeat counter-clockwise eight times
Close your eyes and breathe deeply for a few slow breaths

Hand stretch:

Start with your hands in front of you, palms facing inward
Straighten your fingers and thumbs, then bend the top two joints of your finger down to the tops of your palms
Keep your knuckle joints straight
If your fingers are stiff, bend each finger individually, helping with the other hand

Finger stretch:

Place the index finger against the edge of your desk, keeping your wrists straight
Gently push your finger into the desk and hold for a few breaths
Repeat with all fingers except the thumb

Shoulder stretch:

Stand in front of an open doorway with your right arm extended at shoulder height
Bend your elbow to make a right angle and lay your forearm upright against the door jamb
Lean into the open doorway while gently twisting your upper body away from your upraised arm and hold the stretch
Repeat on the left side
This will open up your chest and stretch your shoulders

Shoulder blade pinch:

Raise your arms out to the side with your elbows bent
Pinch your shoulder blades together by moving your elbows back as far as you can
Hold for a few breaths, then slowly move your arms forward to touch your elbows together

Chest stretch:

Sit tall in your chair or stand up
Extend your arms behind your back and interlock your fingers
Gently stretch your shoulders back, opening up your chest
Take several deep breaths, making sure to keep your back straight and your gaze level

Side stretch:

Sit tall in your chair or stand up
Stretch your arms overhead, interlock your fingers, turn your palms to the ceiling and breathe in deeply
As you exhale, bend your body to the right side, still holding your arms overhead
Take another deep breath in, then as you exhale, repeat the movement on the left side

Calf raises:

Holding on to your desk or chair, slowly raise your heels off the floor
Hold for a few breaths, then lower

Buttocks squeeze:

Sit upright on a chair or stand with feet planted firmly on the ground
Squeeze the muscles in your buttocks as tightly as you can
Hold for a few breaths, then relax

Back stretch:

Sit forward on your chair and open your legs a little wider than your hips
Lean forward from your hips and gently bend your back forward
Let your head and arms hang down to the floor

Cat stretch for lower back

Stand up and place your hands on your desk about shoulder width apart
Your feet should also be shoulder width apart
Slowly arch your back like a cat, dropping your chin to your chest and tucking your pelvis in
Hold for a few breaths, then release and arch your back slightly in the other direction, pushing your buttocks backward and raising your head upward
Hold and release

Squats:

Stand in front of your office chair with your feet shoulder width apart
Bend your knees as though sitting on the chair, keeping your weight on your heels
When your legs are parallel with the seat of the chair, slowly rise to your original position

Full body stretch:

Stand facing a wall and stretch your fingers up the wall as far as you can
While stretching up with your arms, add a downward stretch by pressing your feet firmly into the floor
Gently press your shoulder blades towards the wall and walk your fingers further up the wall to extend the stretch

Breathing is one of the most important parts of any stretching routine

To breathe correctly, you must completely inhale and exhale.

Exhale:
breathe out through your mouth, squeezing all the air from your lungs, almost as if you are wringing the water out of a wet washcloth

Inhale:
breathe in through your nose without allowing your shoulders to lift, as if your lungs are deflated balloons that you’re trying to fill

Do some heavy breathing

Find a quiet spot where you can sit down and close your eyes. Inhale deeply to a count of 5, then exhale to the count of 5. Shut out the noise and distractions around you by concentrating on the air flowing in and out of your body. Keep breathing deeply for at least 5 minutes. Repeat this exercise regularly throughout the day when you feel tired, or tense.

Take a Concentration Break

If you don't have time for a nutrition break, take a quick concentration break. Getting away from your desk, taking a short walk, or getting a drink of water will help you to work more efficiently when you have a tight timeline or heavy workload.

Protect Your Eyes

If your eyes are tired at the end of the day or if you get headaches at work, you may be experiencing eyestrain. Prolonged work on a computer is hard on your eyes. One way of minimizing discomfort is by blinking often to keep your eyes lubricated. Rest your eyes every 10 minutes by taking a break and gazing at something in the distance for a few seconds. Having the computer screen too close to your eyes can be another source of eyestrain.

The ERGOKIT is an evaluation and training program that can help you to arrange your workstation to reduce eyestrain.