At home seated yoga

With many of us still hunched over laptops whilst working from home, and several getting ready to take advantage of unlimited outdoor workouts, the series aims to keep our bodies supported as lockdown continues. Using nothing more than a chair or an empty bench, these yoga exercises tackle the day-to-day gripes that our bodies might be encountering from at-home activities and temporary office set-ups.

Anna plays a key role in providing support and guidance to pro-UK tennis players, both whilst at home and on the Tour. Everyone, including pro tennis players, has been working from home in makeshift non-ergonomic home office set-ups, exercising differently, maybe even taking up new exercise habits like running now we can be outside for longer. In this series Anna shows you how you can incorporate some flexibility and mobility training into your working-at-home routine that will reduce any aches and pains, helping you stay happy and healthy. 

Seated Yoga

Seated yoga is a practice that allows yoga poses and stretches to be done discretely in a chair. It is great for people stuck at a desk all day either at home or in an office. No additional equipment is needed.

Tricep stretch

• Lift your shoulderstowards your ears and then draw them down again and back.
• Extend your right arm to the ceiling, then bend at the elbow to bring the right palm towards the centre of your back, resting your middle finger along your spine.
• Use your left hand to gently push your elbow in toward the centre and down
• Hold this stretch for 30 sec

Crossbody

• Sit up tall. Take right arm at shoulder height across the body.
• Bend the left arm and use it to push the right arm closer to your body.

Toe stretch (heel up)/ Calf stretch (toes up)

• It is really important to remember your feet.
• Tuck your toes under and push your ankle forward then move onto your heel and stretch the toes up and open up the space between each toe.

Hip opener

• Place your right foot on your left knee. Sit tall.
• Use your right hand to push your right leg down. Do not push too hard. Keep both pelvic bones touching the chair

Levator & traps

• Sit up straight with both hands at the sides.
• Rotate the head to the left about 45 degrees.
• Tilt the chin downward until a good stretch is felt on the back right side of the neck.
• To increase the stretch further, the left hand can be brought up to the back of the head to gently pull down a little more.
• Then take the left ear to the left shoulder and hold this stretch.

Spine twist

• Cross right leg over left.
• Twist from your waist round to the right. 
• Use your left hand to push against your right knee and increase the rotation. 
• Look over your right shoulder.

Be sure to also check out the Anna's first at-home physio session and discover how you can treat muscular aches and pains using only a tennis ball.

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