January 2008

This Month’s Healthy Workplace Exercise: Seated Twist

Benefits:  reduces back tension, increases spinal flexibility, detoxifies internal organs, increases circulation to nerve endings along spine, improves energy level and much more.

This exercise must be done on an armless chair.

Instructions:

(1)   Sit sideways on a chair so that your legs are over one side and your right hip is as close to the chair back as possible.  Sit tall and press the small of your back towards the wall behind you.  Keep your shoulders relaxed and down and the back of your neck long.

(2)   Inhale to lengthen your spine, and as you exhale, turn to face over the chair back, taking hold of each side.  Make sure you are twisting with your whole spine.  Your chest and stomach should feel like they are twisting, not just your neck and head.

(3)   Stay here for a few moments, breathing deeply and slowly.  As you inhale, grow taller.  As you exhale, twist a bit deeper. 

(4)   Exhale to come out of the pose and repeat on the other side.

Be Careful:  If you are pregnant, twist very gently and don’t go too deep into the twist.

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