Wrists & Fingers

Why? Fingers and wrists take strain from working on computers typing or using a computer mouse. 

Stretching and exercising the fingers and wrists can prevent carpel tunnel syndrome and discomfort from overuse of these muscles.

How? Rotate or circle your wrists inwards, while curling your fingers inwards one at a time, starting with your little finger and finishing with your thumb. 

Do a few of these rotations before reversing the wrist circle. This time, rotate or circle the wrists outwards, while curling the fingers outwards, one at a time, starting with the thumb.

Spine Extension

Extending your spine helps improve your posture and supports the muscles that stabilize your spine. It also opens your chest and shoulder muscles.

Why? Bending backward to extend your spine helps improve posture and supports the muscles that stabilize your spine.

How? Stand facing away from a wall, with your heels a couple of cm away from the wall. Stand with your arms over your head, elbows bent backward and palms facing the wall. 

Place the palms of your hands against the wall and slowly lean back towards the wall. Catch your body weight with your hands. 

Walk your hands down the wall until you begin to feel a stretch. (You may need to step farther away from the wall as your spine extends).

Neck stretch

Why? Sitting in front of a computer screen causes your chin to protrude forward and the muscles along the back of your neck to get tight as you try to hold your head level. This simple stretch returns length to the back and sides of your neck.

How?  Sit or stand upright with your spine straight, shoulders relaxed, and neck centre in a neutral position. 

Tuck in your chin towards your chest and let gravity gently pull your head down to stretch the back of your neck. Hold this position for 15 to 30 seconds. 

Lift your head, then tip your right ear towards your right shoulder, while keeping the right shoulder pulled away from the ear. 

Extend your left arm away from you to deepen the stretch.  If you want to make it even deeper, gently place your right hand on the right hand of your head for a little extra weight (as per the picture).

Now release the right hand from the head and rotate the head so that the chin comes into the armpit. 

Hold each of these positions for 15 to 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side. 

Variation: From this position, once you’ve warmed up the neck with a few of these stretches, you can also loosen any more tightness by gently circling the neck once or twice clockwise and anti-clockwise, but be very careful to not over- extend the neck backwards when circling towards the back.