Barre with Justine

Recently, my friend and librarian colleague, Chelsea Humphries, and I discussed the ins and outs of Library Yoga. Incorporating yoga into library spaces and programming has many benefits for students and staff, but what if you don’t have the resources to offer this type of programming?

One way to incorporate some of the benefits of library yoga on a smaller scale is by offering simple stretches, either through programming or resources for students to use. This might look like a handout for students to use at their desk to break up a study or writing session (under resources is a document I recently gave out to students – feel free to use or adapt!) or a quick 15 minute seated stretch session.

Personally, I don’t believe you need to have yoga teacher training to lead students through some very gentle chair stretches, although knowledge of anatomy and some experience with fitness or yoga is immensely helpful. There are also many free video resources that you could point to from a page on your library website or through your social media accounts.

So why is stretching so important for students? (well, really, all of us!)

• Leaning over to read/write negatively affects our posture, creating tight shoulders and neck muscles.
• Blood circulation is reduced when we sit for too long.
• Doing some stretches every hour boosts circulation to our brains, offering better focus and creativity.
• Sitting for too long has also been linked to anxiety and depression (see article linked below)
• Sitting can also tighten hip flexors, leading to tension in the low back.

Are you offering any stretching programs at your library? Please let me know, and reach out with any questions you may have!

Resources:

Here’s a link to the Canva file that you can edit or you can download the PDF.

Some great reads:

Move More at Your Desk by Kerrie-Ann Bradley – a great, practical book of stretches to stay active at your desk!

Chair Yoga by Kristin McGee – offers wonderful stretches using a chair

The Stretching Bible by Lexie Williamson – I love the variety of stretches in this book and how they are broken down by anatomy, sport, and theme.

Study on sitting and psychological distress: Michelle Kilpatrick, Kristy Sanderson, Leigh Blizzard, Brook Teale, AlisonnVenn, Cross-sectional associations between sitting at work and psychological distress: Reducing sitting time may benefit mental health, Mental Health and Physical Activity, Volume 6, Issue 2.