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It can be difficult to do office exercises during work premises. If you are struggling to find time to stay active, you may want to try doing office exercises at work throughout the day instead.
When it comes to our jobs, a majority of us sit at a desk for eight or more hours a day, five days a week. Increasing health issues such as weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic conditions can be a result of that too. Considering that, it is recommended that we take whatever steps we can to minimize the damage and improve our health while sitting in our chairs at work.
Doing as little as moving around more while you are at work can be beneficial. Small, easy-to-do exercises do not take a lot of time and can have an excellent outcome on your overall health and well-being on the job.
This easy-to-follow list consists of 25 exercises that do not require you to leave your desk and help offset the effects of staying seated all day long. Following these exercises will allow you to maintain energy, move, and feel better throughout the day, and do not require any sort of investment.
Desk Exercises: Upper Body
Triceps Dips
This exercise requires a stationary chair without wheels. Move forward until your weight is supported by your arms with your palms down on the chair. Bend your elbows straight back and then straighten your arms to do this exercise. 20 dips are recommended.
Arm Pulses
Stand at your desk and keep your arms at your sides with palms facing behind you. Pulse the arms backward for 20 seconds. Keep your arms as straight as possible for as long as possible.
Arm Circles
With your feet shoulder-width apart and arms extended out to your sides at shoulder height, move your arms in small backward circles 20 times. Repeat the procedure in the opposite direction.
Desk Push-Ups
For this exercise, your desk needs to be able to support the entirety of your body weight. Step back a couple of paces from your desk and place your hands on your desk, just slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lower yourself and push back up using your arms while keeping your core tight. 20 reps are recommended.
Wall Push-Ups
The stance is similar to the desk push-ups. Place your hands on the wall and lean forward. Push back up until your arms are straight but not locked. 20 reps are recommended.
Desk Exercises: Lower Body
Chair Squats
Stand with your feet just wider than shoulder-width and lower your back body and stop just before you are about to sit. Stand up and repeat the process. 10 reps are recommended.
Standing Rear Pulses
Hold one edge of the desk to maintain your balance and bend one leg behind yourself while flexing the foot. Alternate between lifting your heel up, then pressing it back. 20 to 30 reps are recommended.
Pretend Jump Rope
Emulate jumping a skipping rope by hopping on one or both feet. Use your arms to mimic the movement of a rope while doing this.
Calf Raises
Using your desk for support, raise your heels until you are standing on your toes. Slowly lower yourself until you are standing and repeat the process. 3 sets of 10 reps are recommended
Desk Exercises (12 to be exact!)
1. Wall Sits
With your back against a wall, slide down until your hips are at the same level as your knees and your knees are together at 90-degree angles. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds and repeat. 15 reps are recommended.
2. Lunge
Place one leg in front of the other at a distance and slowly lower the knee of the hind leg until it reaches the ground before standing back up and repeating. 10 reps per leg are recommended.
3. Seated Bicycle Crunches
Be seated in your chair and make sure that your feet are placed flat on the ground. Place your hands behind your head and lift one knee towards the opposite elbow while twisting your body towards it. Return to the seated, straight-backed position before performing the same action in the opposite direction. 15 twists on each side are recommended.
4. Oblique Twists
This exercise requires the use of a swivel chair. Sit with your back straight and feet off the floor and grab your desk. Use your core to turn left and right. 15 reps per side are recommended.
5. Lower-Abs Leg Lifts
While sitting straight in your chair and with your feet placed on the floor, lift one leg at a time. For an advanced movement, lift both legs at the same time. Keep your core tight during this exercise. 20 reps are recommended.
Desk Exercises: Stretches
6. Triceps Stretch
Raise one arm and bend it so that it reaches the opposite shoulder blade. Use your free hand to pull your elbow towards your head. Hold for 2-3 deep breaths and repeat the motion with the other arm.
7. Neck Rolls
Relax your body and lean your head forward before rolling it in a circle on each side for 10 seconds. Repeat while moving your head in each direction 3 times.
8. Shoulder Stretch
Intertwine your fingers and push your arms above your head with your palms towards the ceiling. Maximize the stretch and hold it for 2-3 deep breaths.
9. The Toe Toucher
To do toe toucher on your desk, move to the edge of your seat and keep sitting. Straighten out your legs and reach out to try and touch your toes. Make sure to keep those legs straight. Hold your toes for at least 10 seconds until you feel the burn in the back of your legs and back.
10. Chest Stretch
Intertwine your fingers behind your back with your palms towards the floor. With your chin raised, push your chest out and hold this position for 2-3 deep breaths.
11. Hamstring Stretch
Sit in your chair and extend one leg outwards all the way. Reach down as far as possible and try to grab your toes. Hold for 2-3 deep breaths and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
12. Wrists and Fingers Stretch
Place both hands on your desk with your palms down and fingertips pointed towards the body. Lean forwards to intensify the stretch and hold it until the tension releases.
These exercises are the best stretching exercises that are recommended by the experts. These exercises are easily doable and don’t require a lot of space for movement. All you need is a chair or a desk and doing some of these exercises will help you to remove the tension that builds up in your muscles from constantly sitting in the same position all day.