You’re a photographer. You’ve got hundreds of photos to cull. You’ve been editing for what feels like hours. Your face is getting closer and closer to the screen. Your vision is beginning to blur.
STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
Take an editing break. Take a break from all the client emails, the blog writing, and the organizing of your top 9 on the Instagram grid.
Did you know that according to Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 in the UK, you should be taking a 5-10 minute break or change up your activity every hour? How often do you actually do that?
This sequence of yoga poses benefits more people than just photographers. It can help anyone who sits at a desk for prolonged periods of time.
So, take a break. Change up your activity for a moment and do some yoga.
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5-10min Desk Yoga for Photographers
Let’s start with our wrists
a. Bring the palms of your hands together at the center of your chest. Lift the elbows up and away from the body and relax the shoulders away from your ears. Firmly press your hands together. Hold for 20 seconds.
b. Bring your palms together again, but this time fingers towards wrists. Lift the elbows up and away from the body and relax the shoulders away from your ears. Firmly press your hands together. Hold for 20 seconds and then flip your hands.
c. Stand up from your chair and bring the palms of your hands on top of your desk with your fingers pointing towards your body. Your upper body will probably be leaning over the desk in order for your palms to lay flat. Keeping the arms straight, slowly lean your body weight backwards. Be very careful and move slowly in this stretch. This stretch doesn’t work for everyone; if it’s not for you, that’s okay. Skip it.
Neck stretches
Reach the crown of your head up towards the ceiling to straighten and elongate through the spine. Soften the shoulders away from the ears.
a. Tuck the chin down towards the chest. Hold for 20 seconds and then lift your head.
b. Take right ear towards the right shoulder. If you want more sensation, try lifting the left arm a little bit, reaching the fingertips away from the body. Hold for 20 seconds
c. Do the other side for another 20 seconds.
Seated Cat/Cow
Have your arms resting beside your body, possibly holding onto the sides of your chair.
Reach the crown of your head up towards the ceiling to straighten and elongate through the spine.
a. Reach the sternum bone (your chest) up towards the ceiling and draw your navel in towards your spine. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and lower them away from the ears. Lift the chin to gaze up towards the ceiling if that’s okay for your neck, but don’t allow the neck to flop back.
b. Tuck the chin as you begin to hollow out the chest while drawing the navel tightly in towards your spine. Create space between the shoulder blades by doming the upper back.
Twists
Reach the crown of your head up towards the ceiling to straighten and elongate through the spine.
a. Inhale and lift the arms up above the head, palms facing together. Soften the shoulders away from the ears. Exhale and twist to the right bringing the left hand to your knee and the right hand to the back of your chair. With each inhale, continue to lengthen through the spine. With each exhale, perhaps deepen a little bit. Try not to use your hands to force the twist. Keep the twist coming from your core. Hold this pose (not the breath!) for 15 seconds.
b. Repeat on the other side.
Chest Opener
There are three variations for this pose. As you keep practicing, you’ll slowly be able to walk your hands closer and closer to your elbows.
a. Bring your arms behind your back and make fists, bringing the fists together.
b. Grab hold of forearms.
c. Grab hold of opposite elbows.
Broaden through the chest and squeeze the shoulder blades together. Think about pushing the elbows away from the body. Draw the navel in towards the spine and reach the crown of the head towards the ceiling.
Side Bends
a. Inhale, lift your right arm up.
b. Exhale, and gently bend over to the left, stretching into the right side body. Hold for 20 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
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Thanks for taking a quick break with me and doing some yoga. Let me know how it worked for you in the comments below!
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19 Responses
I love these yoga poses for photographers! As I currently do the neck stretches at my desk because I have been sitting here going on hour 3…Thank you so much for reaching out to photographers with quick easy yoga stretches! Elle Narbrook you are amazing!
I’m so glad you like them! 🙂
Fabulous tips for photographers who want to get into yoga. I will have to implement many of these myself.
Great, I hope you do! Let me know what you think of them 🙂
This is such a great yoga routine for photographers!
Thank you! I’m glad you like it! 🙂
This yoga is so perfect for a photographer- with my long hours of sitting at my desk I can’t wait to try doing these exercises daily! Thank you for the new yoga exercises.
You are so welcome! I hope they provide a nice little break from the long hours sitting still!
I’m one of those photographers that has fallen into some bad habits: too many hours in front of the screen and not enough time focusing on my health! I love that these yoga poses are simple, effective, and can be done by beginners (ME!) and it’s not intimidating. I’m totally bookmarking this post to refer to in the future. <3
Yes! This sequence is suitable for anyone, really–especially for beginners! Hope they help break up the long hours at the desk! <3
I had no idea I needed to change what I’m doing every 5-10 minutes. Yikes! I love what you’re doing to help us photographers make time for ourselves and your yoga tips are so helpful!
You don’t need to change what you’re doing every 5-10 minutes. But, you should be taking a 5-10 minute break every hour. So, no need to switch it up *too* often! And I’m glad you find these tips helpful! 🙂
Love this desk yoga routine! What a great way for photographers who are editing to relax simply!
Glad you love it! xx
Fantastic ideas for all of us photographers. Your yoga tips for photographers are invaluable and will definitely be helping me a lot.
Great! I’m glad you find them helpful, Angela! xx
I am a photographer who often sits for long periods of time while editing. I’ve noticed this has started to affect my posture so I started searching for stretches to do at my desk and found this yoga for photographers post. It was so helpful. I feel a difference already! I pinned it so I can look at it daily. Thanks so much! I’ll be following your blog for more tips.
I LOVE this post and and while this is great for people who work in offices, it is a godsent for photographers! After editing for hours on end, doing this practice at the desk felt so good! Thank you!
Fantastic information for any photographers interested in doing yoga. You give such detailed instructions, really makes it easy to follow. Thanks!