What is the difference between being a couch potato and spending day after day sitting on a chair in an office? Not much if you come to think of it. Sitting for long periods of time increases your chances of cancer by a mammoth 60% and also leads to obesity, back and neck aches, poor posture and tense muscles, which in turn lead to tiredness.
With today being World Health Day, pledge to help your body by incorporating these 7 simple desk exercises that remedy the ill-effects of working out of a conventional office.
Desk push-ups
✔ If you’re not afraid of garnering a little extra attention at work, try the desk push-up. Simply place your palms flat on the table and move your legs back until your body forms a 45° angle with the floor.
✔ Assume this to be your starting position and do push-ups as you would on the floor.
✔ This exercise helps strengthen your arms.
✔ If you’re not afraid of garnering a little extra attention at work, try the desk push-up. Simply place your palms flat on the table and move your legs back until your body forms a 45° angle with the floor.
✔ Assume this to be your starting position and do push-ups as you would on the floor.
✔ This exercise helps strengthen your arms.
For a demo, watch the video below.
Carpal tunnel reliever
✔ Carpal tunnel syndrome is a tingling or numbing sensation experienced in your hand, largely due to tasks such as typing or using a mouse. To relieve the tension on your arm’s carpal tunnel, try this exercise.
✔ Stand in front of your desk with your palms bent in such a manner that the top rests flat on your desk and the fingers point towards your body.
✔ Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds and repeat multiple times during the course of the day.
✔ Carpal tunnel syndrome is a tingling or numbing sensation experienced in your hand, largely due to tasks such as typing or using a mouse. To relieve the tension on your arm’s carpal tunnel, try this exercise.
✔ Stand in front of your desk with your palms bent in such a manner that the top rests flat on your desk and the fingers point towards your body.
✔ Hold the stretch for 15-20 seconds and repeat multiple times during the course of the day.
Shoulder blade squeeze
✔ Even for the most careful of the lot, sitting straight all day long can be a task. Considering you know how horrible a hunched back is for your posture, get started on the shoulder blade squeeze immediately.
✔ Imagine placing a rod between your shoulder blades, one that you have to keep in position solely with your shoulder blades.
✔ Contract them, hold for 5-10 seconds and then release. It may help to bend both arms at a slight angle to achieve this.
✔ Repeat the exercise 8-10 times for instant relief.
✔ Even for the most careful of the lot, sitting straight all day long can be a task. Considering you know how horrible a hunched back is for your posture, get started on the shoulder blade squeeze immediately.
✔ Imagine placing a rod between your shoulder blades, one that you have to keep in position solely with your shoulder blades.
✔ Contract them, hold for 5-10 seconds and then release. It may help to bend both arms at a slight angle to achieve this.
✔ Repeat the exercise 8-10 times for instant relief.
For a demo, watch the video below.
Wooden leg
✔ If you’re fretting over knee problems or sore muscles, don’t forget to add this exercise to the mix. The bonus is that it doesn’t attract any unwanted attention either!
✔ Whilst sitting upright, raise your leg from the knee so that your entire leg is in 1 straight line, with your foot flexed. Then, lower your leg down.
✔ Repeat this exercise 20 times with each leg.
✔ If you’re fretting over knee problems or sore muscles, don’t forget to add this exercise to the mix. The bonus is that it doesn’t attract any unwanted attention either!
✔ Whilst sitting upright, raise your leg from the knee so that your entire leg is in 1 straight line, with your foot flexed. Then, lower your leg down.
✔ Repeat this exercise 20 times with each leg.
Chair squats
✔ If you’re going all out, there’s nothing better than chair squats to add to your deskercise routine.
✔ If you sit on a high chair, lower it a little before beginning this exercise.
✔ Stand 6”–8” in front of the chair with your arms outstretched in front of you.
✔ Squat while keeping your back straight until your bottom touches the seat of your chair. Come back up to your starting position and repeat the exercise at least 5 times.
✔ If you’re going all out, there’s nothing better than chair squats to add to your deskercise routine.
✔ If you sit on a high chair, lower it a little before beginning this exercise.
✔ Stand 6”–8” in front of the chair with your arms outstretched in front of you.
✔ Squat while keeping your back straight until your bottom touches the seat of your chair. Come back up to your starting position and repeat the exercise at least 5 times.
For a demo, watch the video below.
Chair twists
✔ As you inch towards the end of a workday, your back needs some respite too.
✔ Stretch your back muscles by sitting upright on your chair, twisting as far as you can to the right while holding on to the back of your chair to reinforce your stretch.
✔ Come back to a normal seating position and repeat the same stretch on the left side.
✔ As you inch towards the end of a workday, your back needs some respite too.
✔ Stretch your back muscles by sitting upright on your chair, twisting as far as you can to the right while holding on to the back of your chair to reinforce your stretch.
✔ Come back to a normal seating position and repeat the same stretch on the left side.
Book press
✔ Excellent at giving your upper back, shoulder and triceps some exercise, the book press is an easy exercise to perform, as long as you have a heavy book on hand.
✔ Stand and hold the heaviest book around with both your hands.
✔ Now, raise your arms over your head while holding the book (this is your starting position) and lower them backwards, dropping them as low as the nape of your neck. Then, raise your arms again. This completes the exercise once.
✔ Repeat this exercise 10 times.
✔ Excellent at giving your upper back, shoulder and triceps some exercise, the book press is an easy exercise to perform, as long as you have a heavy book on hand.
✔ Stand and hold the heaviest book around with both your hands.
✔ Now, raise your arms over your head while holding the book (this is your starting position) and lower them backwards, dropping them as low as the nape of your neck. Then, raise your arms again. This completes the exercise once.
✔ Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Written By : Shirley Mistry
