By Elizabeth Herman | Posted: November 01, 2019
”Sitting is the new smoking,” is a new catch phrase about what sedentary lifestyles can do to the human body. It succinctly expresses the important revelation that sitting for extended hours is harmful for health.
But the statement is grossly exaggerated, and “in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health, researchers from Canada, the US, and Australia" debunked this myth. Sitting for long hours, however harmful it is, doesn’t come close to the serious dangers of smoking.
Still, the fact remains that one shouldn’t sit for prolonged hours, and that’s why inventors created standing desks and yoga stretches for office hours. That’s all good, but if you’re working in any major city in the world, you’re spending a considerable amount of time commuting to and from the workplace. The amount of time often depends on the size of the city.
What about all the hours spent sitting inside that little 4 by 4 foot box with wheels? Safety quickly becomes the highest priority. But spending our time in traffic jams could be healthier if we could add some yoga to the mix. So, without further ado, here are some yoga postures you can try the next time you’re stuck in traffic, especially in cities, or simply when you’re going on a long distance work trip or vacation. (Note - these aren’t to be done while driving in motion, so pull over at a rest stop to practice!)
Drop your shoulders and gently and slowly roll them while syncing the movement with breath. For example, inhale while bringing the shoulders forward and up, exhale while bringing them back and down. Do it 3-5 times in both clockwise and counterclockwise direction
B) Cow face pose:
Start with the left arm by raising it above your head and bend the elbow, dropping the hand behind your shoulder. Simultaneously, bring the right arm behind your back and interlock both hands. Take 3-5 deep breaths, release and repeat with the right arm
C) Neck stretches:
Up and down: Breathe in and look up, pointing your chin towards the roof of your car. Breathe out and look down, and bringing the chin close to your chest; repeat 5 times.
Sideways: Breathe in, and look towards the right, breathe out come to the center, and breathe in and go to the left, 5 times.
Roll: Now let’s combine the above two stretches and gently roll your neck completely around, 360 degrees. Breathe in while going up and breathe out going down, 5 times.
Grounding the lower portion of your body firmly, take your left arm behind your seat, turn your upper body and head in the same direction, and look back. Breathing in, elongate your spine, breathing out, twist more. Do this for 5 breaths and then repeat for the right side.
E) Lotus pose:
While keeping the spine erect, bend the right knee and place the right foot on the left thigh. Make sure that the sole of the right foot points upward and the heel is close to the abdomen. Now, if you can comfortably, repeat the same step with the other leg. If full lotus hurts at all, remain in half lotus pose by placing and resting only one leg at a time on the opposite thigh, and keep the other leg and foot resting on the floor.
F) Seated cat pose:
Keep both hands on the steering wheel at the same level, sit erect and while breathing in, backbend and push your stomach out towards the steering wheel and let your head fall back a little. Breathe out, hunch forward and pull your navel in towards the spine. Alternate these two positions 5 times.
G) Alternate nostril breathing:
Alternate nostril breathing technique calms and centers the mind by harmonizing both hemispheres of the brain. It’s best to try this only if you’re sure you can get 2 uninterrupted stationary minutes to practice. Watch this video to learn it now:
They say there are as many yoga poses in the world as there are animal species, so there are a lot more than these that you can do with caution in a car. Just make sure you stay alert and safe the whole time! The purpose is not to put you to sleep but to give you more energy and reduce stress and tension for the road ahead.
We recommend you learn more by finding and participating in a Sri Sri Yoga program near you. Become a yogi yourself and take your yoga poses on the go.
This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Elizabeth Herman writes, offers writing support to clients, teaches, and volunteers for a better world. She has a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition and Literature. Find her on Facebook or Twitter.
