Shoulder Rolls:

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. You can keep your arms by your side or you can hold your arms out like a T. Rotate your arms BACKWARDS first! This will help to loosen your shoulders from being hunched over at the keyboard. Do this 10 times backwards then 10 times forward. It is important to breathe slowly and deep and really fill your lungs with energy and expel stress.

Hip Bend:

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend from the hips and go as far down as you can. It is OK if you cannot touch your toes. There are 3 ways to help your spine: Swan Dive, neutral spine and nose dive. Each of these will help your spine in different ways so try them all.

For a challenge: from NEUTRAL only extend one leg. Don’t forget to switch.

Hip and Back Stretch:

Start laying on your back. Cross one ankle over the opposite knee, make sure it cannot fall off of the knee. Take the same side arm from the ankle that is crossed and go through your legs to grab the thigh of the leg that your foot is resting on. Pull up. You should feel the stretch in your hip and lower back. This is great if you are sitting all day.

Bridge:

Start laying down on your back. Bring your feet as close to your rear as you can arms to the floor by your rear. Push through your heel (NOT YOUR TOES) and lift your hips so that you are in a line from your knees to your shoulders. Hold for a count of ten then repeat.

For a challenge: once you are up in your bridge, lift one leg so it is parallel to the rest of you and move your rear down halfway then up for a count of ten.

T Rotation:

Start laying on your back. Bring your knees up to a 90* angle with your hips. Then, with your legs together, just drop your legs to the side. Hold for a count of 10 then rotate them to the other side.

Hip Flexor:

Start on one knee with your other leg out at a 90* angle. You should not feel any stretch starting out. Then point the back toe straight back and lean into your bent knee. Your back leg should go into a line type shape. Count to 10 then switch legs.

For a challenge:

Take the toe from the foot behind you and pull it towards your rear end.

Side Bend:

Start by standing straight up. Take your right ankle and cross it over your left ankle. Take your right arm straight up (you can use your left arm to balance yourself on a wall or chair). Then you are going to bend to the left. You should feel the stretch by your lower back, hip and side oblique. Hold this for a count of 10 then switch legs and arms.