Our bodies are not designed to stay in one position all day. Yet many of us sit at our desks for hour after hour barely moving and never taking a break. Today’s technology has made the problem worse. A few years ago, if you wanted to send or retrieve a fax, you got up and walked to the fax machine. Today, you can fax from your computer. If you wanted to ask a coworker a question, you would get up and walk to their desk. Nowadays, people use e-mail or instant messenger. The result is we are spending more time at our desks and on our computers and less time moving about to communicate which gave our bodies a break and increased our circulation.

Even if you have the latest in ergonomic equipment and you practice good posture, sitting for lengthy periods of time without getting up and stretching can cause injury. Our bodies were designed to move. Movement nourishes our spine, keeps the joints lubricated and flexible, improves circulation, relieves tension and boosts energy levels.

Stretch breaks will help reduce muscle tension caused when muscles remain static or fixed in one position for too long. Stretching can help relieve discomfort due to repetitive movements and awkward postures. All it takes is a short, five-minute mini-break every hour, where you relax and stretch your muscles. In fact, short breaks are preferable to longer, fewer breaks.

The good news is that everyone can stretch. Stretching should feel good and never cause pain. Here is a short workout that you can use.

Work Your Eyes
To get started, work your eyes. Remember the 30/30/30 rule. Every 30 minutes, stare at something 30 feet away for 30 seconds. Blink and yawn. Both produce tears, which help moisten and lubricate your eyes. Then, while seated brace your elbows on the desk and let your weight fall forward. Cup your hands over your eyes, close your eyes and press the palms into the eyes. Breathe slowly and deeply for 30 seconds. With your eyes still closed, slowly and gently move your eyes to the ceiling and slowly down to the floor. Then move eyes to the left and to the right. Repeat several times. Finally, open your eyes and change your focus. Do Not Forget The Muscles And Bones
Deep breathing is one of the best methods for stretching your body and relaxing. Stand and place one hand on the abdomen and one on the chest. Inhale slowly through the nose and hold for a count of four. Exhale slowly through the mouth. Repeat several times.

While sitting in a good posture position, imagine a string pulling the top of your head upward. Hold for a count of three and relax. Repeat several times. Tilt your head to one side (ear towards shoulder). Hold for 15 seconds. Tilt your head to the other side and hold. Repeat several times. Turn head down and slightly to one side as if looking into your pants pocket. Hold for 15 seconds. Turn to the other side and hold. Repeat several times. Shrug your shoulders. Slowly bring shoulders up to the ears and hold for three seconds. Rotate shoulders back down and repeat.

Pamper Your Arms And Hands
While sitting, drop your arms to the sides and shake your hands. Do this frequently throughout the day. For those spending a lot of time using the keyboard, do wrist stretches. Hold your arm straight out in front of you. Pull the hand backwards with the other hand. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat. Another hand stretch is the finger tendon glide. Simply opening your hands and fingers fully and then ‘folding’ the fingers and thumb into the hand several times provides a healthy stretch for the tendons.

Move Your Body
The best break is to get up and move around. Re-organize your office so you must get away from the computer every so often. Moving the printer or fax machine far enough from the computer forcing you to get up and walk over to it, for example, can get hearts pumping and muscles moving. While we are at work we can make time to take care of our bodies so that when we leave work we can enjoy our personal life. Remember, you spend approximately one-third of your life at work – be healthy and comfortable.

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