Seated Twist
If you had P.E. when you went to school then you’ve likely already become passively familiar with the Ardha Matsyendrasana, or Seated Twist. This exercise is exceedingly simple, yet enormously effective, giving you a great stretch from your waist to your neck while hitting your spine and shoulders in between. For this exercise you will merely need to sit down on the floor with your legs slightly extended. Take your right foot and put it just outside of your left thigh, effectively crossing the leg. Now curl your other leg under your right thigh, bringing it in tight without actually sitting on it. Now you should be staring straight ahead with your legs crossed, though slightly up. Now put your left arm in front of your knee and use it as torque in order to twist your body, rotating from the core of your abs. Keep your butt firmly planted on the floor and make sure not to turn more than you are comfortable. You’ll be feeling a great stretch at this point, so you want to hold it for a period of time. Now switch and repeat the process with your other side, digging in deep. Repeat this before any strenuous activity and you will likely see a giant reduction in nagging, muscle related injuries to your back. If you work in heavy labor, such as stocking shelves, this is also a great warm up pose for your shift.
