Searches for "AFC West" are climbing this week as fans check whether the Kansas City Chiefs play today, when the next game is, and how the division standings look, per Google Trends and recent coverage from USA Today and Yahoo Sports. Arrowhead Pride has also run a piece on the last time the Chiefs were undefeated at the bye.
I can't tell you the standings from here. What I can give you is something useful for the way a game week feels: a 10-minute yoga reset you can do on the couch side of the living room, before kickoff, at halftime, or after the final whistle. By the end you'll have a short routine, a breathing pattern for tense moments, and a simple way to use it all week.
Why game week gets into your body
Checking schedules, refreshing standings, and watching close plays tends to leave people hunched over a phone with a clenched jaw and shallow breathing. Those are habits, not destiny. A few minutes of deliberate movement and slow breathing is a practical way to undo them.
The routine below targets the usual trouble spots: neck, shoulders, hips, and chest.
Step 1: Three slow breaths (1 minute)
Sit tall, feet flat on the floor, hands on your thighs.
- Inhale through your nose for a count of 4.
- Exhale through your nose or mouth for a count of 6.
- Repeat for 6 rounds.
The longer exhale is the point. It nudges your body toward a calmer pace. Keep this one in your pocket for tense moments mid-game: a fourth-down call, a replay review, a last-minute drive.
Step 2: Seated neck and shoulder release (2 minutes)
Ear-to-shoulder stretch
Drop your right ear toward your right shoulder. Let your left shoulder sink. Hold for 5 slow breaths, then switch sides.
Shoulder rolls
Roll both shoulders up, back, and down 8 times. Reverse for 8 more.
If you've been scrolling on your phone, this is the stretch you'll feel most.
Step 3: Cat-Cow at the edge of the couch or on the floor (2 minutes)
Come to hands and knees. Inhale, lift your chest and tailbone (Cow). Exhale, round your spine and tuck your chin (Cat). Move with your breath for 8 to 10 rounds.
This wakes up the spine after long stretches of sitting, which is exactly what a three-hour game involves.
Step 4: Low lunge with chest opener (2 minutes)
Step your right foot forward from hands and knees, back knee down. Interlace your fingers behind your back and lift your chest slightly. Breathe for 5 slow breaths, then switch sides.
Tight hip flexors build up from sitting. This pose opens the front of the hips and counters the forward-rounded posture of screen time.
Step 5: Legs up the wall or couch (3 minutes)
Lie on your back and rest your calves on the couch seat or your legs up a wall. Let your arms fall open. Breathe naturally.
This is the wind-down. If your team won, it keeps the celebration from turning into a restless night. If they lost, it gives your nervous system a place to land before you start rehashing every play.
How to use this around a game
- Before kickoff: Do Steps 1 to 3 (about 5 minutes).
- At halftime: Do Step 1 and Step 4 (about 3 minutes).
- After the game: Do Step 5, then a few more slow breaths.
- On the bye or an off day: Run all five steps, no screen nearby.
Make it a habit, not a one-off
Fans tend to stack a lot of rituals around game day: the jersey, the snacks, the seat. Add this one to the list. Because the routine is short and needs no equipment, it's easy to repeat every week. Keep the pace gentle, skip any stretch that causes sharp pain, and check with a health professional if you have an injury or condition that affects movement.
Whatever the standings say next week, you can control your breathing. Start with six slow breaths before the next kickoff.
