Benefits of chair yoga-II

Sitting in the same position for long makes the spine and associated muscles tired and weak and one can slowly develop pain in this region. Practising simple chair postures helps in making the spine flexible and the muscles strong (this is the second part of Office/Chair Yoga series).

Backward bending

A. Involves the upper limbs

• Sit at the edge of the chair. Leave comfortable gap between the legs
• Make the spine straight
• Place both hands at the back and hold the sides of the chair
• Breathe out slowly and curve the shoulder back
• Then slowly put the neck back
• Elbows should be completely extended

B. Involves the back

• Slowly push your lower back or stomach forward
• Feel the inward movement of the entire spine
• Hold position for a few seconds and repeat again

Precautions

• Don't push your body back with force
• Breathe out while stretching
• Adjust the position of hands until comfortable
• Do the entire process slowly

Benefits

• Excellent posture
• Prevents spine damage
• Shoulders are stretched and relaxed
• The wrist gets strength as entire weight comes on them
• Elbow stiffness decreases
• Neck muscles get flexible