Yoga for computer users

Our human bodies are developed to hunt and gather, to run and jump and climb to play hard and restfully, not being designed to be seated facing the computers for a long day. Due to the advancement in the current society, where computers play a major role in our daily work life. It is inevitable to face the computers for a long period of time during the day. This lifestyle, would eventually take a toll on our health in the long run, leading to spine and back problems, shoulder, neck and upper back tensions, and a variety of repetitive stress injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and tendonitis.
Due to our stressful work life, one of the greatest bodily effect of stress leads to a weakened immune system. Weakening the body’s natural capacity to prevent or recuperate from these injuries.
 
Tips for Regular computer work users :
-Pausing for regular stretching breaks when at the computer is a good beginning to offset the effects of extended computer usage. Regular stretching during breaks will result in long term benefits.
 
How Yoga can help and benefit :
-Yoga poses can be beneficial in offering countermovements to regular, injurious, “computer slump” posture, which bring about tension in the muscle and causing the back to ache through the increasing range of motion and circulation it brings to the body.
-Yoga is the remedy to the sluggishness of energy that take place in the body when one sit’s at the computer desk for extended periods of time.
-Yoga teaches the nervous system to turn off the stress response by offering a stress management system that interchange both physical exertion and deep relaxation.
 
Yoga Asanas for Regular computer work users:
-Seated Mountain pose with basic arm stretch (Parvotasana)
-Seated Reverse prayer pose (Paschima Namaskar)
-Seated Eagle pose (Garudasana)
-Seated Cow Pose (Gomukhasana)
-Seated Back Bend Pose (Salamba Makarasana)
-Seated Twisted Pose (Bharavdvajasana)
-Seated Forward bend pose(Salamba Uttanasana)
-Seated Neck stretch
 
I have personally applied short breaks in between the day to apply these above yoga asanas for easy stretching at the desktop while during my breaks at school, and during an internship stint at a work setting previously which requires long hour of computer usage.
Through my experience, these yoga asana poses have been beneficial in releasing the tension of the muscles, and release of the stress built up in the body due to long hours at the desktop, to allow the energy within the body to flow more effectively.
In hopes that through this sharing of desktop yoga asanas would be able to share some insights with others whom as well experience with the aches and pains due to daily long term of computer usage in one’s daily work life. To experience the benefits and importance of having daily stretching short breaks to take care of our bodies and to prevent any long term chronic pains in the future.
 
Yeo Natalie
200Hr YTTC Weekend (July-October)
 
References :
Blaine, S. (2008). Yoga for Computer Users. California: Rodmell.