Here are some moves you can do at your desk for office workout
These office exercises can help you stay fit at work. These moves will help you strengthen your body and stretch out in the comfort of your office.
You only need a chair, a water bottle, or dumbbells. Stability is important when using a chair. To ensure that the chair doesn’t move, if it has wheels, you can push it against a wall.
This exercise is not meant to replace traditional strength training. It does provide a way for you to move your body if you are unable to leave your desk.
Seated Stretches
Lower Back Stretch: Lie straight up and place your left arm behind your left hip. To deepen the stretch, gently twist to the left using your right hand. Continue holding for 20-30 seconds. Then, repeat the process on the opposite side.
Wrist Stretch: Bring your arm out in front and raise your palm. Grab the fingers with one hand. To stretch your forearm, gently pull your fingers towards you. Hold for between 20 and 30 seconds. Repeat the process on the opposite side.
Forearm and wrist stretch: Place your hands in front of your chest and bend your elbows so that your forearms are parallel to the ground. For 10 repetitions, gently bend your wrists to the left and right.
Upper Body Exercises
Triceps dips: Place your hands on the side of a sturdy chair and place them next to your hips. Place your hips forward of the chair, and then bend your elbows to lower the body. For 16 repetitions, push back up.
Biceps Curl: With your right hand, hold a water bottle and bend down towards your shoulder. Do 16 reps.
Triceps Press Front Raise: Sit straight with your abs in, and hold the water bottle in your left hand. The bottle should be lifted to the shoulder, then pause and continue lifting the bottle all the way above your head. Bend your elbow so that your arm is parallel to your ear. Next, take the water bottle and contract the triceps. Do 12 repetitions of each arm for straightening.
Lower Body Exercises
Chair Squat: Sitting down, raise your legs so that your hips hover just above the chair. To balance, extend your arms out in front of yourself. For 2 to 3 seconds, hold, then stand up straight and do 16 repetitions.
One-Legged Squat : Place one foot slightly in front the other using a stable chair. As you push up, use the arms of the chair to leverage. To balance, hover just above the chair and keep the other leg on a flat surface. For 12 reps, lower the chair and continue to do so.
Hip Flexion: Stand tall and bring your abs in. The left foot should be lifted a few inches off the ground, with your knee bent. Keep your left foot off the floor for two seconds. Lower it and do 16 more reps.
Leg Extension: Stand tall and bring your abs in. Keep your left leg extended until it reaches the hip. Then squeeze the quadriceps. For 2 seconds, lower your leg and do 16 repetitions.
To protect your inner thighs, place a towel, a water bottle or an empty coffee cup between your knees. Then, sit tall and with your abs in. Release the object halfway and squeeze it again. Do 16 slow pulses.
Ab Exercises
Side bends (pictured in standing, but you can also do it while sitting down): Grab a water bottle with the right hand, and hold it over your head. Arm straight. As far as possible, bend to the left and contract your abs. Return to the center, and then do it again on the opposite side. You should complete 10 reps. One rep is to bend to the left or right.
Ab Twists: Keep the water bottle at chest height and with your knees and hips in front, slowly twist to the left. Feel the abs contract. For a total of 10 reps, twist back to the center and then to your right.
Moving More in the Workday
There are some tricks to keep your office active, besides working out at the desk. You can start by taking the stairs, parking farther away from the door and walking around the office as often as you can. There are other options that can keep you moving beyond these suggestions:
- Sit on an exercise ball if you can. You’ll strengthen your back and posture, and it won’t take much effort.
- To remind yourself to move, get up and stretch every hour, set an alarm. You’ll feel more alert even if you only swing your arms or take deep breaths.
- Take the stairs to reach the toilet on another floor.
- Keep track of your steps with a pedometer, activity monitor, or other device that tracks your steps. You should aim for between 6,000 and 10,000 steps per day.
- You should always leave something important in your car, such as your lunch or your briefcase. You won’t have to rush to find it. Go up the stairs.
- Co-workers should be able to deliver documents and messages in person, rather than via email or text.
- During lunch, walk around the local mall or parking lot.
- You can use your phone’s headset to allow you to move while you speak.
- A standing desk allows you to move around during the day. You can sit down until you feel ready to move. Then, take a walk. After you return, get up and place your desk in a standing posture. After standing for as long you like, switch to sitting.
Any movement is better than none. Don’t feel pressured to run sprints all day. You can burn more calories and stress by adding short workouts to your workday.
