Whether you have a desk job or not, chances are you spend an exorbitant amount of time hunched over your laptop/desktop/smartphone. That’s why we decided to pull together five quick exercises to help ease any symptoms caused by computer strain.
5 Super-Easy Exercises to Relieve Computer Fatigue
Ugh, your neck hurts
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Published Jul 25, 2016
To Relieve Sore Texting Thumbs: Tap Your Fingers
Ever heard of “smartphone claw”? It’s what happens if you don’t take a three-second break from texting to stretch your thumbs. The cure: Put down your phone, then tap each finger to your thumb five times in a row. Three sets should be enough to alleviate cramping.
To Cure Selfie Elbow: Rotate Your Wrists
It sounds silly, but doctors have confirmed: Selfie elbow (a condition caused by snapping too many pics of your own beautiful face) is real. To relieve it, simply extend your arm, make a loose fist and gently bend your wrist up and down. Repeat once a day, depending on the number of selfies you take, of course.
To Loosen A Tight "tech Neck": Do Some Desk Yoga
The sitting cow pose is our go-to. If your neck is feeling tight from lack of movement, bring your left arm behind your back by your waist and your right arm up and behind your head. Clasp your fingers together--only as far as you can reach--and hold. Take a couple of deep breaths and repeat on the opposite side. (Bonus points if you can visualize a gorgeous island at the same time.)
To Relieve Shoulder Tension: Shrug Them
Think about it: Every time a string of stressful emails comes in, your shoulders instinctively start to curve forward and tighten as you fire off reply after reply. To re-align them, inhale deeply and shrug, lifting your shoulders up as far as you can toward your ears. Hold for a few seconds, then drop 'em. (And remember: You don’t have to write back right away!)
To Rest Tired Eyes: Blink (or Follow The 20-20-20 Rule)
Guys, Computer Vision Syndrome is real. (It’s basically an umbrella term for all the eye problems caused by staring at a screen for extended periods of time.) To fight it, the fix is simple: Blink. It might feel like you have to make a concerted effort at first, but eventually opening and closing your eyes will feel more natural. A back-up plan: Set a calendar reminder for the 20-20-20 rule. (Every 20 minutes, pause what you’re doing and gaze at a point that’s 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds.) Your eyes will thank you, promise.
