These modified yoga stretches are designed in and around the chair for the less mobile but they can work for anyone who is confined to the desk for long periods of time. Of course I suggest that you get up and leave the desk stretch and breath at least ten minutes per day. If you can’t leave your desk for that period of time these modified yoga stretches for the chair are a very good alternative. They offer strength, balance, flexibility and an opportunity to stretch your tired muscles and clear your mind and refocus on the important tasks at hand.
So let’s begin. The best chair to use for these modified yoga stretches would be a straight back chair, without wheels, and without arms. The chair should be sturdy and stable. A folding chair that is fairly sturdy would also work well. Our starting point as usual is described in step one and two.
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose as best you can.
The first one offers you arm strength. It’s very simple to get there but not so easy to hold yourself up. But let’s try to do just that.
(Modified Incline Plane)
Step Three: Push your body slightly away from the chair back. Next
extend your legs out in front of you, and keep your feet shoulder width or chair width apart.
Step Four: Hold onto the chair seat close to your hips. Brace yourself, because you are going to lift your hips off the chair seat. When you lift up your body you are taking your body weight onto your arms which strengthens the arms and shoulders.
Step Five: Lean your head back and fully extend your legs. Keep your hips off the seat. You are now getting the full benefit of the modified incline plane. Hold the position as long as you can but I suggest that you hold the pose for about ten to twenty five seconds. Hold the pose Longer if you have stamina.
Step Six: Release the pose and sit back down on the seat and rest.
Step Seven: You can repeat this exercise as many times as is convenient.
New Stretch:
(Hip Stretch)
Step One: Go back to the original sitting position. During the stretching please do the best you can to breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Two: We are now going to stretch the hips and legs. Take your RIGHT foot and ankle and place it across your LEFT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Three: Lift your body up. For an added stretch you can press your RIGHT elbow down on your RIGHT knee as you lean over.
Step Four: Release your foot and place it back on the floor.
Switch Sides-
Step Five: Take your LEFT foot and ankle and place it across your RIGHT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Six: Release your foot and place it back on the floor. Breathe!!
New Stretch:
(Modified forward Bend and Leg Stretch)
For this exercise you need enough space in front of you so that you will be able to fully extend your leg forward. For this exercise you may also want to have available a strap, belt, or towel. The strap should be firm and not have any bounce or give to it. I’ll show you how to use it in just a moment.
Step One: Bring your Right knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Two: Next try to brace your left elbow and arm on your left knee if you can reach. This helps to hold your leg out in front of you. Stretch your right leg out in front of you. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your left arm can be resting on your left leg for support. You lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Come out.
The Alternative Pose with help from the Strap Or Belt: When you use a strap or belt the idea is to get leverage on the stretch. It can assist you if you are not so flexible or your strength is not too developed.
The width of the strap or belt can be approximately half of an inch to about two inches wide, and the length should be about three feet long to longer. Roll your towel length wise to accommodate the 2 inch width and three feet length. If you are at home you can also use a pillow case that doesn’t have any give. Roll up the towel or the pillow case as described.
In the extended leg position that we are discussing you can hold firmly each end of the strap in each hand. Place your foot in the middle of the strap and press your foot out against the strap or belt and bend your body forward towards your knee. In this case you are pulling on the strap ends as you pull yourself towards your foot. The height position of the extended leg is still at the same the level of the resting knee.
Step Three: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release.
Switch Sides:
Step Four: First position is to bring your left knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Five: Stretch your left leg out in front of you. By either holding onto your leg or using your strap as previously described. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your right arm can be resting on your right leg for support. Lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds.
Step Six: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release! Come out and relax! Good job!
I think that is all for today. I hope that you are enjoying our modified chair yoga stretches. More importantly you are stretching muscles that may have been frozen for a very long time. It’s going to take some time to get your flexibility back if you haven’t moved for a long time. But don’t lose hope. This is a very good start. Until next time.
So let’s begin. The best chair to use for these modified yoga stretches would be a straight back chair, without wheels, and without arms. The chair should be sturdy and stable. A folding chair that is fairly sturdy would also work well. Our starting point as usual is described in step one and two.
Step One: Push your chair back from your desk for the time of stretching.
Step Two: Uncross your legs and sit with your legs slightly open, which is chair or hip width. Put your feet solidly on the ground. Your hands can rest on the tops of your thighs for now. During the stretching please breathe in and out through your nose as best you can.
The first one offers you arm strength. It’s very simple to get there but not so easy to hold yourself up. But let’s try to do just that.
(Modified Incline Plane)
Step Three: Push your body slightly away from the chair back. Next
extend your legs out in front of you, and keep your feet shoulder width or chair width apart.
Step Four: Hold onto the chair seat close to your hips. Brace yourself, because you are going to lift your hips off the chair seat. When you lift up your body you are taking your body weight onto your arms which strengthens the arms and shoulders.
Step Five: Lean your head back and fully extend your legs. Keep your hips off the seat. You are now getting the full benefit of the modified incline plane. Hold the position as long as you can but I suggest that you hold the pose for about ten to twenty five seconds. Hold the pose Longer if you have stamina.
Step Six: Release the pose and sit back down on the seat and rest.
Step Seven: You can repeat this exercise as many times as is convenient.
New Stretch:
(Hip Stretch)
Step One: Go back to the original sitting position. During the stretching please do the best you can to breathe in and out through your nose only.
Step Two: We are now going to stretch the hips and legs. Take your RIGHT foot and ankle and place it across your LEFT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Three: Lift your body up. For an added stretch you can press your RIGHT elbow down on your RIGHT knee as you lean over.
Step Four: Release your foot and place it back on the floor.
Switch Sides-
Step Five: Take your LEFT foot and ankle and place it across your RIGHT knee. Now you are going to lean forward and down over your crossed leg. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Breathe in and out only through your nose.
Step Six: Release your foot and place it back on the floor. Breathe!!
New Stretch:
(Modified forward Bend and Leg Stretch)
For this exercise you need enough space in front of you so that you will be able to fully extend your leg forward. For this exercise you may also want to have available a strap, belt, or towel. The strap should be firm and not have any bounce or give to it. I’ll show you how to use it in just a moment.
Step One: Bring your Right knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Two: Next try to brace your left elbow and arm on your left knee if you can reach. This helps to hold your leg out in front of you. Stretch your right leg out in front of you. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your left arm can be resting on your left leg for support. You lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds. Come out.
The Alternative Pose with help from the Strap Or Belt: When you use a strap or belt the idea is to get leverage on the stretch. It can assist you if you are not so flexible or your strength is not too developed.
The width of the strap or belt can be approximately half of an inch to about two inches wide, and the length should be about three feet long to longer. Roll your towel length wise to accommodate the 2 inch width and three feet length. If you are at home you can also use a pillow case that doesn’t have any give. Roll up the towel or the pillow case as described.
In the extended leg position that we are discussing you can hold firmly each end of the strap in each hand. Place your foot in the middle of the strap and press your foot out against the strap or belt and bend your body forward towards your knee. In this case you are pulling on the strap ends as you pull yourself towards your foot. The height position of the extended leg is still at the same the level of the resting knee.
Step Three: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release.
Switch Sides:
Step Four: First position is to bring your left knee into your chest and grab hold with your hands. This helps to stretch the hip and hamstring, (back of your leg.) Hold this for 5-15 seconds.
Step Five: Stretch your left leg out in front of you. By either holding onto your leg or using your strap as previously described. Keep the level of your leg close to your knee height of the other leg. So your leg is straight out in front of you. Your right arm can be resting on your right leg for support. Lean over towards the knees. Hold for approximately 5-15 seconds.
Step Six: At this point your leg is extended out in front of you either by you holding onto your leg, or holding onto the ends of the straps. Next, start bringing your leg upward towards your face or head. This is a great stretch for your back, the back of the legs and calf muscles. Release! Come out and relax! Good job!
I think that is all for today. I hope that you are enjoying our modified chair yoga stretches. More importantly you are stretching muscles that may have been frozen for a very long time. It’s going to take some time to get your flexibility back if you haven’t moved for a long time. But don’t lose hope. This is a very good start. Until next time.
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