Tips for Office Back Health and healthy back class

kim on 12:56 pm February 24th, 2013 / Be the first to comment! »

Basic Rules for a Healthy Back in the Office

Overall

• Slumping when sitting = dangerous
• Sitting with a long, supported spine = normal

The 1-2-3 Approach

1. Lift the floor
2. Support the sacrum, not the low back. This straightens out the spine by forcing the abs to work when you are sitting
3. Do not underestimate the value of movement of any kind, at any moment (shoulder rolls, neck rolls, getting up and stretching your arms overhead, walking for 5 minutes)

Basic Back Health Yoga Class

1. Child’s pose (often needs to be modified)
2. Cat/cow
3. Down Dog or Half forward fold with hands on chair, couch, table
4. Advanced: Full Standing forward fold
5. “Low” lunge, i.e., back knee down; pelvis facing forward with legs front/back
6. Side angle pose with elbow on knee (modified); Pelvis “open” or legs wide with pelvis in center
7. Advanced: Wide legged standing forward fold
8. Mountain Pose. Inhale to Mountain Pose with hands reaching overhead
9. Warrior 2 Pose
10. Triangle Pose
11. Side angle pose with block
12.  Tree Pose
13.  Head-to-knee-pose (modified)
14.  Savasana
15.  Abdominal work, as taught by Kim in Healthy Back Series
16.  Supported Bridge Pose (using block) or Advanced:  Bridge Pose
17. Advanced: Plow Pose
18. Savasana