

I spend at least 8 hours a day at my desk, usually more. I'll get sucked into my daily tasks and projects, and next thing I know I've been working for 4 hours straight without any movement.
Within a year of my first office job, the consequences of such little movement started to appear. I began suffering from lower back pain, my body always felt stiff, and my sleep began to suffer as well.
Once I began my fitness journey, I realized that what I did in the gym wasn't enough. I had to stay mindful of my body and my wellness at all times, especially while at work.
If you work in an office environment, chances are you may be suffering from the same side effects caused by sitting for extended periods. If this story resonates with you, here are some stretches you can incorporate into your day-to-day desk warrior lifestyle in order to minimize pain and maximize energy.
Lunge
Courtesy of Charlene Izere/xoNecole
The lunge targets your hip flexors. Tight or weak hip flexors can lead to poor posture and lower back pain, so it's important to give your hips the TLC it deserves so you can slay the day.
How To: Widen your stance in a lunge formation and keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Place your hands on your hips and inhale as you pull your belly button. As you exhale, squeeze your glutes, and push your hips forward. Do this for 10-15 seconds on each leg.
Cross Body Stretch
Courtesy of Charlene Izere/xoNecole
Staring at a screen all day will tighten the muscles around your shoulder and neck, building up tension and potentially causing headaches. Do the cross body stretch to alleviate this tension.
How To: Bring your arm across your chest and use your other arm to stretch it across your body. Keep your elbow below shoulder height. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with your other arm.
Plank
Courtesy of Charlene Izere/xoNecole
The plank strengthens the core muscles that support you and control your spine and pelvis. While this move is usually nobody's favorite stretch, the plank is an essential tool to strengthen your foundation.
How To: Place your forearms on the ground, keeping your elbows directly beneath shoulders. Your arms should be parallel to your body and shoulder width apart. Keeping your back straight, tighten your core, and hold for 30 seconds.
Incorporate these three simple stretches into your daily routine, and you'll be able to kill it at your job without killing your body in the process!
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Public health specialist turned wellness coach Charlene Izere helps busy female entrepreneurs turn wellness into an accessible lifestyle. Founder of the BossFit Method, Charlene teaches on health + wealth, routine optimization, and mindset shaping so that her “BossFit Tribe" can maximize their income and impact. When she's not strategizing with her clients or speaking at events, Charlene enjoys playing video games, making cocktails, and binge watching Love & Hip Hop. Follow her on Instagram @charleneizere.
Eva Marcille On Starring In 'Jason’s Lyric Live' & Being An Audacious Black Woman
Eva Marcille has taken her talents to the stage. The model-turned-actress is starring in her first play, Jason’s Lyric Live alongside Allen Payne, K. Michelle, Treach, and others.
The play, produced by Je’Caryous Johnson, is an adaptation of the film, which starred Allen Payne as Jason and Jada Pinkett Smith as Lyric. Allen reprised his role as Jason for the play and Eva plays Lyric.
While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
A Celebration Of Black Voices: What You Missed At The 3rd Annual Black Effect Podcast Festival
Over the weekend, iHeart Radio held its third annual Black Effect Podcast Festival in Atlanta, attracting a star-studded lineup of personalities and shows. Charlamagne tha God, founder of the Black Effect podcast network was in attendance along with other notable personalities like Mandii B and Weezy WTF, the hosts of the popular Decisions, Decisions podcast, who also served as the festival's hosts.
Sarah Jakes Roberts, the esteemed pastor and host of Woman Evolve podcast, singers and co-hosts of the R&B Money podcast, Tank and J. Valentine, former NFL star and Funky Friday host Cam Newton and many more further rounded out the festivals' lineup.
The festival hosted panels that focused on mental health and the future of podcasting as well as many live shows. Good Moms, Bad Choices hosts, Erica and Milah, welcomed Dreka Gates and held a live dating show that was nothing short of hilarious. Naked Sports host Cari Champion sat down with Iman Shumpert and they discussed sports and dating.
Tank and J. Valentine surprised the audience with Jacquees, Cam had a live conversation with Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams, and Sarah closed out the festival with reality star Toya Johnson. Check out photos from the festival below:
(L-R) Shawn Bethea, Jay Barnett, Devi Brown, Charlamagne tha God and Amber Grimes
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Jamilah Mapp, Dreka Gates and Erica Dickerson
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Mandii B and Weezy WTF
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Porsha Williams and Cam Newton
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Iman Shumpert and Cari Champion
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
Tank, Jacquees and J. Valentine
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network
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Feature image by Derek White/Getty Images for iHeartMedia and The Black Effect Podcast Network