November 13, 2014

10 Easy Exercises to do at Your Desk

Stretching and brief bouts of exercise can help improve productivity and prevent back, shoulder and neck pain associated with sitting all day. in fact it may reduce pain by up to 72%. Workplace stretching can improve flexibility and—even better—your sense of attractiveness and self-worth. But that’s not all; a bit of exercise in the workday can relieve both physical and mental stress and improve your mood. Take that, mid-day slump!

Cardio: stairs

Take the stairs! For a real burn take them two at a time every other flight.
Take a mini break and jog in place (pick up those knees!) for one minute. Repeat as needed.

Neck:

Keeping your head upright, hold your palm against your forehead, and press your head forward, resisting with your palm. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Now clasp your hands behind your head, and press your head backward, resisting with your hands. Hold for 10-15 seconds.
Relax your shoulders and let your head roll forward, chin to chest. Slowly rotate your head in a circle without straining your neck. Repeat 5 times. Relax. Then rotate in the opposite direction and repeat 5 times. Try not to raise your shoulders as you do this exercise.

Legs:

Standing with your back against the wall, bend the knees and slide your back down the wall until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit and hold for 30-60 seconds. For some extra burn, try crossing the right ankle over the left knee, hold for 15 seconds, then switch!
Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, press up onto the tippy toes, pause at the top, and then lower back down. Repeat for three sets of 12-15 reps. Then, try raising only one leg at a time.

Shoulders/ Arms:

Cross your legs while seated in a chair. With your hands on the armrests, push upwards to raise the body off the seat and remain floating for 10-20 seconds. Release back down to the chair, rest for a minute, and repeat. Too easy? Try this balancing act while in a chair that spins.
Sitting up clasp hands together as if giving yourself a handshake (with one hand’s thumb pointing to the floor and the other pointing to the ceiling). Then pull! Resist the motion of both hands and hold for 10 seconds or more, release, and repeat.

Core:

Have a swivel chair? Sit upright with the feet hovering over the floor. Hold the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb. Next, use the core to swivel the chair from side to side. Swish back and forth for 15 rounds.
Interlace your fingers behind your back, palms facing in. Raise and straighten your arms, squeezing your shoulder blades together and “opening up” your chest. Fold for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 10 times.

These and more “Deskercise” tips can be found at http://www.carsontahoe.com/h/deskercise-at-your-day-job/ and http://uclivingwell.ucop.edu/deskercise/welcome.html