Computer workers stay loose with midday yoga

Terri Patterson’s job at the Mesa City Court entails a lot of stress and several hours sitting at a computer. So twice a week Patterson escapes on her lunch hour to a yoga class at Inside the Bungalow. In the time it takes most people to eat lunch, Patterson has breathed and stretched away all her stress.

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“I can literally walk over there, change into something comfortable, do the yoga and grab my lunch to go in an hour,” says the Mesa resident.

The class is Yoga to Go, a 40-minute session that includes a salad lunch. Taught by Inside the Bungalow owner Carrie Hensley, the class is designed for workers who sit at a computer all day.

“In that 40 minutes we work the shoulders, neck and back,” says Hensley. “Typically, most office workers are hunched over in a cubicle, so those are the

areas that are going to start screaming over time.”

The poses are simple, and the emphasis is on stretching, not building strength. Anyone could do the poses in their work clothes without worrying about sweat.

“People don’t want to sweat or stink,” says Hensley. “These are not the poses we do. It’s not a full yoga class. It’s more of a way to recharge and relax in the middle of a hectic day.”

ALL DAY IN ONE PLACE

Working at a computer does more damage than most people think, says Teresa Araas, a teaching associate at Arizona State University Polytechnic, at Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa.

People focus their attention on the computer and conform their bodies to that activity. The shoulders hunch forward, contracting the muscles in the chest and overextending those in the back. Problems arise over time.

“People jump in and do their thing, and they’re not conscious of the fact that there are better positions to work in,” says Araas.

Yoga stretches open the chest and relax muscles along the spine. For employees, the benefits are mental, emotional and physical.

“It’s critical that any individual take some time out of the day, especially people who work on computers, for themselves,” says Araa, who when working at her computer takes a break every hour to do yoga.

The benefits for employers are fewer sick days, reduced risks for muscular and skeletal disorders such as carpel tunnel syndrome, and a healthier atmosphere, says Araas.

ASU began offering yoga classes to employees in spring 2005. Classes are offered before work and during lunch.

“We’ve had tremendous success since,” says Jeff Vance, director of campus recreation at the Polytechnic campus. “A lot of people have noticed an increase in flexibility, range of physical activity and reduced back pain.”

READY TO WORK

Patterson could easily do Yoga to Go in her work clothes, but opts to change into more comfortable attire. After 40 minutes of relaxed stretching, she is reenergized and ready to grab her lunch and go.

“It has a wonderful way of opening up your breathing,” says Patterson. “At the end, I’m ready to go back to work.”

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Yoga to Go

What: 40-minute yoga class for the worker on the go

When: Noon Tuesdays and Thursdays

Where: Inside the Bungalow, 48 N. Robson, Mesa

Cost: $12, includes salad

Information: (480) 844-2353 or www.insidethebungalow.com