I am often asked how to help ease
the tightness suffered around the shoulders after being hunched over a desk all day and my biggest tip is to do a couple of
pilates exercises..
Arm Circles… These are simple and a brilliant way to release shoulders .
Stand with your feet hip distance
apart, a lengthened feeling through the the spine, making sure your ribs are evenly placed above your pelvis. Gently draw your navel towards your spine to keep your torso completely still as you raise the arms forwards reaching up towards the ceiling and then circle the arms behind your body and then back to the start position. Do five times in one direction and then reverse the direction. Be mindful that your rib cage stays down and the movement is coming purely from the shoulders rotating.
Diamond press... A great exercise to open up the front of the chest and taking the spine into the reverse of the 'office hunch'.
Lie on your front with you forehead resting on the backs of your hands on the floor, your legs are hip distance apart. Avoid arching your lower spine, there should be a lengthened feeling in the lower spine. Gently draw your navel towards your spine to keep the pelvis and lower back still as you roll the nose away and lift the head, neck and upper spine up, directing your chest forwards, keeping your neck long. Then come back down to the mat in reverse, with a feeling of coming forwards and down with the chest, then neck then forehead back on your hands. Repeat up to ten times, concentrating on a lengthened feeling in the spine rather than height.
Try and do these at least once a day giving you that little 'mindful' moment to concentrate on you and your body, with a smile on your face and enjoy!