Got your hands on a keyboard?

Research really does show that the most dangerous job you can have is to be an office worker...

I’ll let this sink for a moment…

Studies suggest that there are more muscular and skeletal problems in office workers than there are in people who run oil rigs and do construction.

So this winter yoga session we are diving – hands first so to speak – into where office workers often hurt the most – hand and wrist health.

Even if you don’t have wrist pain, wrist mobility is still beneficial to work on, because every time you lift an object — even if it is just a coffee cup — your wrist is involved. Furthermore, since poor wrist mobility can contribute to forearm, elbow, and shoulder issues, working on your wrists can improve overall upper body strength and function.

Step 1 - BUILD AWARENESS: check how you position your hands on the keyboard - are your wrists collapsed? Tilted to one side? Lifted up higher than your hands? Hanging in the air?

Step 2 – SHAKE IT OFF! Shake your hands out, and let the arms hang loosely down by your sides.

Step 3 – MOVE + BREATHE: make 4-5 gentle shoulder circles first, then close your eyes and let the backs of your armpits relax as you exhale; imagine that your shoulder blades are gently sliding down toward the pelvis.

Step 4 – CIRCLE OUT THE WRISTS: fair warning, this is harder than it sounds!

Start with one hand (wrist) at a time to identify pure movement in the wrist and eliminate possible compensation patterns.

Bend your right elbow, and make a soft fist with your right hand.

Now wrap your left hand’s fingers around your right forearm – just below the right wrist. This will help you to feel / limit movements other than the right wrist.

Rotate the right wrist several times in one direction and then the other; note the sticky areas and limitations – these could be something to investigate further.

Switch sides and repeat the movement with the left wrist.

Step 5. SHAKE IT OFF again, take a deep breath in and exhale it slowly.

And you are done!