As a lifelong athlete, I often used to skip stretching after exercise.
Add that in with years of computer-related tension.
❌ I used to slouch forward at my desk, while typing constantly for 8 hours.
All while my shoulders were internally rotated and my upper back was locked into place.
All this caused excessive shoulder tension.
✅ The best fix I’ve found?
Low‑intensity, long‑duration stretches.
And I practice slow, deep nasal breathing during these stretches.
In through the nose, out through the nose.
Here’s the quick‑start guide…
Disclaimer: This article is not professional medical advice. It’s based off my personal experience and opinions. For years, my poor computer posture caused muscle tension, inflammation, and chronic pain. Bad posture also decreased my mental clarity, energy level, and work productivity.
All the desk worker health tips I write about are directly related to improving posture at a computer. We are our own primary caretakers. Do your research. Make good decisions. And be the best advocate possible for your own healthcare.
Computer Posture Stretches: Ways to Relieve Typing Tension
To counter-balance my tension from typing, I like to do 2 different stretches.
1️⃣ Door stretch 🚪
The door stretch is good for quick relief, when I don’t have much time.
I usually hold it for 30 to 60 seconds. It’s a good chest opener and shoulder stretch.
Here’s how I do a door stretch:
- I stand in a doorway.
- I raise my arms until my elbows are the same height as my shoulders.
- I bend my forearms at 90 degrees.
- I place my forearms on the frame of the doorway.
- Finally, I lean slightly forward into the doorway until I feel a comfortable stretch in my chest and shoulders.
The image below shows what a door stretch looks like.
2️⃣ Yoga cactus pose (while laying flat on the floor) 🌵
The cactus pose is my favorite stretch to counter-balance tension caused by typing.
It’s good for deep rest. I only do it when I have a lot of time and when I’m in the comfort of my own home.
And I’d describe this stretch as relaxing, not painful.
🌵 Here’s how I do a yoga cactus pose (while laying down):
- I lay down flat on the floor.
- I place my elbows even with my shoulders.
- I bend my elbows (on the ground) until they are at a 90 degree angle.
- I hold this pose for up to 5 minutes sometimes.
- I let gravity pull my arms, shoulders, and chest downward into the ground. I visualize myself melting into the Earth.
- I breathe slowly through my nose. Both on the inhale and the exhale.
The image below shows what a yoga cactus pose looks like (while laying flat).
In my experience, this is the best stretch I’ve done to help release excessive internal shoulder rotation.
It also resets my spine, decreasing my tendency to slouch forward at my desk.
Sitting at a computer is an endurance event.
Some of our muscles might be deactivated all day.
But some of our muscles are constantly activated.
And the best way for me to counter-balance that tension, is to do low-intensity, long-duration stretches.
These stretches have provided me benefits like:
- Less muscle tension 💪
- Less pain 😌
- Sharper focus 🧠
- Higher energy ⚡️
THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST IN COMPUTER POSTURE.
If you’ve read this far, congratulations! You’re taking valuable steps to reduce computer-related injuries by improving your posture. That’s something to be very proud of!
If you liked this article on computer posture stretches and ways to relieve typing tension, check out my free ebook titled 3 Ways to Improve Computer Posture Immediately!
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Go to SittingPosture.com/ebook to learn more.
Take care,
Todd Bowen
