MEGHAN Shannen (@megshan.yoga) suggests four yoga postures for people who already who have some experience of yoga in order to mitigate some of the back strain that a makeshift home office set-up can cause.
1. Forward fold with clasped hands: Helps to open chest and shoulders, which counteracts the standard sitting posture we tend to hold at our desks. Start with your feet hip-width apart and clasp your hands behind you. Pull your hands away from your lower back and focus on keeping your shoulders away from your ears. With bent knees, fold down, bringing your clasped hands overhead. Take five breaths, and then roll up slowly – imagining you're stacking your spine, piece by piece.
2. Low lunge: Great for stretching and strengthening hip muscles. Place your front leg at a 90-degree angle, with back knee on the mat, back toes untucked. Use a yoga mat to protect your knees. Engage your glutes and push your the shin of your back leg against the mat. Your abs and rib muscles should also be activated to protect your back. Once you've found a solid foundation, lift your hands above your head, tucking your chin slightly. After five deep breaths switch legs.
3. Triangle pose: Good for to stretching your side body. Step your feet roughly a metre apart, left foot at the front of the mat and facing forward. Line the arch of the right foot to the heel of the front foot, and raise your arms to shoulder height. Reach your left arm as far forward as you can, while pulling your right hip as far back as possible. Then drop your left hand to a comfortable position on the inside of the left leg, twisting your torso and reaching upwards with your right hand. Switch sides.
4. Reverse tabletop: Opens shoulders and strengthens glutes, wrists and back muscles. In a seated position, place your hands behind your back, fingers facing towards you, feet hip-width apart. Lift to a tabletop position, with shoulders directly above wrists. Knees should be directly above your ankles, hips in line with shoulders. Tuck in your neck, engage your abdominal muscles as you hold for five.
