Modern day life is full of stress, and the majority of us are affected. We have to cope with long hours of traveling and traffic jams; we are exhausted by the time we reach the office / home. A lot of us are into jobs, which involve constant sitting in front of a desk/ computer for long hours, resulting in back pain, headaches, eye, and neck strain, as well as a host of other related conditions.

We don’t find time to relax and rejuvenate. Just taking a few minutes, at the convenience of your office place, without disturbing your work, you can do stretches at your desk, which can relieve stress, increase productivity, and most importantly, make you feel better. The following are a few stretching exercises:

Shoulder Rotation:

Keep both hands on the respective shoulders – right hand on the right shoulder and the left hand on the left shoulder. By keeping your hands on your shoulders, rotate the arms and shoulders in a large circle. Try to touch the elbows in front of the chest.

Do this, clockwise, for eight to ten times, and then anti- clockwise, for eight to ten times. Deeply inhale when the elbows move forward, and exhale when the elbows move backwards.

Catching The Fingers Like A Hook:

Bring both hands up to the level of the chest and catch them like a hook – as in the case of two friends meeting and shaking hands. Take a deep breath, and pull the hands in the opposite direction. Release the breath, while lowering the hands. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times.

Repeat the same exercise behind the head, also. Take a deep breath, and pull the hands in the opposite direction. Make sure your hands are not touching the head from behind. For relaxing or exhaling, bring the hands back over the head, in the front, every time. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times.

Releasing the Pain Around the Neck:

Lock the fingers, on both hands, in such a way that the fingers remain on back side of the palms. Keep both palms on the lower part of the skull (the part from where the cervical vertebrae start, and the skull ends). Both elbows should remain parallel to the ground.

Now, exhale, and bring both elbows nearer to each other, in front of the face, by pressing your hands towards the head, and head towards the hands.

Inhale deeply, and move the elbows away from each other, and parallel to the ground, as well as in line with the shoulders.

Exhale, each time, when the elbows move forward, and inhale, when they move away from each other, and on the back side. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times.

Pressing the Fingers:

Close the fists, by keeping the thumbs inside the fingers, and press on the thumbs as hard as you can. Then, open the fists. After that, close the fists, by keeping the thumbs outside the fingers, and then open it.

Inhale at the time of closing the fist. Exhale at the time of opening the fist. Do this process eight to ten times, by keeping the hands away from the chest.

Cow Face:

Take your right arm, down over the right shoulder, behind the head, and bend it at the elbow, on the back and lower side.

Then, take the left hand on the low back side, and then bend the elbow from below with the hand upside. Make the hooks of the fingers, and pull the hands in the opposite direction. The upper elbow should remain exactly on the back side of the head, so that it gives complete exercise to the cervical spine. Inhale deeply when you pull the hands. Relax the hands when you exhale.

Then, do the same exercise, by bringing the left hand from above, and the right hand from below.

Those who can’t grasp the fingers can hold a thick handkerchief by the hand, from above, and lower end of the handkerchief from the hang below. Pull it. Try to bring the fingers of both the hands nearer to each other, with the help of the handkerchief.

Repeat it for 3-4 times each side. Try to remain in the position to the count of three breaths.

Neck Exercise:

Sit, with keeping the back straight. Close the fist of the right hand with the thumb inside. Keep the part of the bent fingers, where you wear a ring, under the chin. Now, press the chin upwards by the fist. The head will move upwards. Then, make a hook of the index finger. Keep it on the chin, and press it downwards towards the chest. Inhale when you press upwards, and exhale when you press downwards. Do it eight to ten times.

Very slowly rotate the head first on the right side, and then on the left side. Inhale deeply, when the neck moves on the right side, and comes in line of the right shoulder; exhale when it returns to the front side position. Inhale, when it moves on the left side, and exhale when it returns to the front side gradually. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times in total that is four to five times on each side. Now, relax the neck.

Thereafter, bring the right ear up to the right shoulder, and then the left ear to the left shoulder. Repeat this exercise eight to ten times in total that is four to five times each side. Now, relax the neck.

Now, rotate the head, and neck, from the right side. In this, tilt the head first on the right side, then on the back side, then on the left side. and in front last. This would complete one rotation. Repeat four to five times, very gently, and without any stress. Do it in the reverse direction, also, that is starting it from the left side. Repeat four to five times, without hurrying.

Stretching the Whole Body:

Stand straight, with feet together or apart slightly. Raise your arms over the head. Interlock your fingers, and keep your palms up towards the sky. While inhaling, stretch the whole body on the toes. Maintain the balance. While exhaling, come back. Do 3-5 times.