Do Desk Stretches Every Day

I have fibromyalgia, which can cause muscle stiffness & pain, numbness & even nerve damage. While it can take a lot to get myself started moving some days, a balance between healthy movement & rest is essential. Too much exercise isn't a good thing, but neither is laying around all day (no matter how appealing it might be). When I started experiencing numbness in my hands & fingers after typing for a short period of time recently, I realized that I needed to keep my muscles & ciculatory system moving in different ways, and moving much more frequently, than I was before. Typing, even with a mousepad & keyboard pad, and even while sitting up straight, confines us to a relatively rigid seated position for however long we're at the computer. For some of us, that's hours & hours a day. Desk stretches are a quick, easy way to get the blood flowing again to our neck, back, chest, arms & hands. Please do the following stretches, at least once a day, and you'll start to feel a difference in your overall vitality, flexibility & even in lowering discomfort levels.

http://www.shelterpub.com/_fitness/_desk_stretches/desk_stretches.pdf

Consider buying a stretching DVD, or a beginner's yoga DVD, to help lengthen your muscles, de-stress your mind & body, and learn proper technique for stretches. Practicing yoga, meditation and/or daily athletic stretching done with deep breathing can be one of the most energizing & yet relaxing habits that one can build. These are the best ones that I've seen & used (each link has a clip of the workout itself, along with buying information, if you're interested):

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/tamilee-webbs-total-stretch-9445

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/easy-yoga-for-arthritis-with-peggy-cappy-6006

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/the-firm-power-yoga-7321

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/karen-voights-pure-and-simple-stretch-7275

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/cathe-friedrichs-stretch-max-7455

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/chair-dancing-simply-stretch-6038

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/cathe-friedrichs-total-body-stretch-7531

http://www.collagevideo.com/workout-video/yoga-zone-flexibility-and-stress-release-7097

-Liz