Hip and Glute Stretch of the Office Chair Yoga

When sitting at your office desk, working hours at a stretch you are bent on your keyboard for long durations. In this near immobile position where you use only your fingers and arms (and brain), you develop stiffness in various parts of the body. The hip and buttocks are hardly moved, and so it is not uncommon to develop stiffness in these parts of your body. At times you could find it difficult to get up and move when you have been sitting for a long time.

The hip and glute stretch of the office chair yoga, helps you to ease the muscles of your pelvis and increase the circulation of blood there. In the long run such exercises can help to you to prevent hip and lower back related ailments too.

These exercises are quite simple and you need not even move out of your office chair. To begin with, adjust your position on the chair by shifting slightly ahead on the chair. Move your back away from the back rest. It is a common practice to keep your wallet in your back pocket. A fat wallet would prevent you from sitting comfortably. So it is advisable to remove your wallet from under you hip when you sit, and particularly so when you do this exercise.

Now lift your right leg and place your right shin on your left thigh. Adjust the position of your right ankle over your left thigh according to your comfort. The closer the ankle is to your abdomen, the better. Place your right hand on your right knee and left hand over your right ankle. Breathe slowly and consciously at this position, and inhale deeply. As you exhale, move your chest forward and bring your chest as close as you comfortably can to your right thigh.

Stay in this position and keep breathing slowly, consciously and deeply. If you can bend enough to take your chest all the way down to your right shin, that would be great. Drop your head over your right shin. You now feel a stretch to your hips, buttocks and glutes. To sharpen this stretch you can let your arms down by your sides and let them hang limp.

Stay in this position for some time and then lift your back. Switch the position of your legs and place your left leg on top of your right leg, and bend forward once again. Apart from stretching your hips and glutes, this exercise also compresses your abdominal organs and improves the secretion of digestive juices.

Sources:

Office Chair Yoga: Hip & Glute Stretch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkXyPuDec2s

Quick Hip and Glute Stretch

http://gettingridofthepudge.blogspot.com/2010/04/quick-hip-and-glute-stretch.html

Glute Stretches

http://www.answerbag.com/glute-stretches

Office Chair Yoga: Hip & Glute Stretch

http://fooyoh.com/fitness_video/watch/WkXyPuDec2s