Yesterday's Washington Post Express paper featured "Memo to Staff: Get Moving," an article about local exercise expert, Denise Austin's efforts to get the staff of a company to move their booties on the hour every hour. I enthusiastically agree with Ms. Austin's statement, "I'm a true believer that sitting still is our enemy."
Ms. Austin, known for her incredibly rock-hard abs (that she always invites people to touch), the result of her workouts, is a well-known exercise instructor with DVDs and television programs. I have had one of her books for years. It doesn't have yoga in it, but she offer many useful ideas for staying fit. Although Ms. Austin didn't mention yoga office breaks during her visit to this particular local firm, you can apply her philosophy to your yoga practice.
Granted, you can't do every yoga pose at the office, unless you have an office to yourself, can change your clothes, roll out your mat, and can close the door without fear of interruption for a few minutes. However, there are many yoga poses and moves that you can do at your desk such as neck rolls, facial and eye yoga, forward bends, arm and leg stretches, backward bends, and so forth to avoid the dicomfort of too much inactivity. My job is sedentary to the max. Most days I could work nonstop in front of my computer like a hermit if I chose to.
Fortunately, I know better and I make every effort to rise about every 30 or 60 minutes and move around. I just have to make sure I do it every hour! As I I have divulged in prior posts, I will often do a yoga stretch like the one shown above in the ladies' room when no one else is around. When Denise Austin visited the local company to guide them into more physical activity, she advised the employees to take a physical movement break at least every hour on the hour. She said whereas this didn't obviate the need for a regular workout, frequent mini-exercise breaks help keep your body conditioned and your head clear. It also helps eliminate the afternoon dip in energy that many people experience after lunch.
So get your timer out and do a yoga stretch every hour on the hour to feel your best!
Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the Beginners Home Yoga Mentor
Comments