Many of us spend hours on end trapped behind our desks each day, fantasising about the healthy fit life we could be living if we just had a little bit more time in the day. Sure, we could wake up at 4 or 5 am to get that quick workout in; but when you’re still at the beginning stages of your fitness journey, well that seems like a bit of a stretch.
Incorporating little exercises into your work day – without even leaving your desk – not only feeds your body bursts of energy to beak up the sedentary marathon you have going in your office chair, but it also gets the blood flowing, feel-good endorphins running, and even improves your focus. Isn’t that a win-win situation all around?
Here are a few simple exercises from Healthline, Very Well Fit, and Tiny Pulse to use while staying behind your desk:
Desk presses
Very useful for those who use computers a lot. This exercise is perfect for building strength from your wrist to your elbows.
- Place palms face upward under your desk
- Press up towards the bottom of the desk
- Hold for five to ten seconds
Glute squeezes
The mighty gluteus Maximus, part of the three muscles making up the glutes is an important factor in keeping us upright, running, and pelvic alignment. so it’s important to keep it in tip-top shape
- With your head facing forward, straighten your back as you sit on your desk chair
- Clench your glutes and hold for five seconds
- Unclench slowly and repeat ten times
Spinal twists
Sitting behind a desk for long periods can affect your lower back which can eventually lead to a tight back and loads of discomfort and pain.
- Behind your desk, place your feet flat on the ground
- Contract the abs and slowly rotate to the right, using the chair’s armrest for support
- Twist as far as comfortable. Hold the stretch for ten to 30 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
Shoulder shrug
Many of us hunch behind our desks which leads to excessive tension and tightness in our shoulder muscles.
- Whether seated or sitting, lift the shoulders towards the ears and squeeze them tightly
- Hold this position for two to five seconds then gently lower shoulders in a rolling manner
- Repeat eight to ten reps then roll shoulders forward
Inner thigh stretches
This dynamic stretch targets the inner thighs, groin and hips to prevent or alleviate and tightness or tension that may have settled in this region.
- Sitting on a chair, open the legs wide. Push your toes out and lean with your elbows on the thighs
- Keep your back upright and contract the abs
- Continue to press forward while using the elbows to push the thighs out until you feel the stretch in your inner thighs
- Hold this position for ten to 30 seconds then repeat as many times as you like
Desk push-ups
This is a great exercise to strengthen the upper body.
- Stand up behind your desk
- Gently place your palms at the end of your desk, push away from the desk until your feet are inclined towards it
- Breathe in and slowly lower your chest down to the desk, push yourself back up
- Repeat as many times as you can
Shadowboxing
After a stressful day behind the computer, this exercise will raise your heart rate while releasing tension.
- Raise your fists in front of your face (maintain a safe distance from your computer please)
- Punch your fists towards the air as if there is a punching bag in front of your
- Alternate between the right and left arm, do this for 30 seconds
- Pause and repeat
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