Working Out at Work: Exercises to Try at Your Desk

Tired of sitting down for countless hours at work? Why not work out at work?

Yes, that’s right- it’s time to sit less and move more as our sedentary lifestyles are impacting our health very negatively (here’s how). So, if you’re sitting down right now, we ask you to stand up and try out these desk exercises with us! Are you ready?

Stretching

First things first, before you get the ball rolling, make sure to always start with proper stretching. By skipping stretching, your muscles will remain tight and you’ll be risking joint pain, strains and muscle damage. That’s how underrated stretching is! Here are some stretching examples to make your muscles stronger and more flexible:

1) Wrist Stretch

Stretch out your arm in front of you, put your palm up and clutch the fingers with your other hand. Gently pull the fingers inwards towards you to stretch the forearm, keeping hold for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

2) Neck Stretch

Turn your head to the left, try to look over your shoulder and hold steady for a few seconds. Repeat to the right.

3) Reach and Bend

Extend your right arm over your head and reach out as far as you can to the left and gently curve to the side. It may be helpful to clasp your hands together. Hold for a few seconds and then, repeat with the left arm.

Exercising

With that done, it’s time to get down to business (we don’t mean the thousands of emails in your inbox!) Are you prepared to take things up a notch?

1) Chair Squat

While sitting, move your body up until your hips are just hovering over the chair and keep your arms out for balance. Hold for 2-3 seconds, stand all the way up and repeat for 15 times.

2) Tricep Dips

Use your desk or chair (unless it comes with wheels) for support. Position your hands shoulder-width apart on that desk or chair, then move your lower body downwards with your legs extended out in front of you. Keep your arms slightly bent in your elbows to maintain the tension on your triceps as opposed to your elbow joints.

3) Lunge

You can either practise this exercise within the same space or otherwise do it towards a particular direction, say the receptionist (try not the kitchen!). With one leg in front of the other, slowly lower the knee of your back leg down towards the ground. Repeat this for 10 times. Easy right? For all you know your colleagues might think you’re proposing to them!

Getting creative

If you don’t feel like doing actual exercises, why not tweak your daily routine slightly to make it more active? Sometimes the little things make all the difference! But what exactly do we mean?

1) Park further away

It may be tempting to park at the closest parking spot to your office, but from tomorrow consider parking farther away, to achieve those extra daily steps.  If you take the bus to work, stop at the bus stop before your usual one.

2) Say yes to stairs

Once you get to your building if you need to go up to another floor, be sure to take the stairs rather than the lift. Taking the stairs will help increase your heart rate while toning up your legs in the process.

3) Sit on an exercise ball

If it’s permitted, go wild and replace your chair with an exercise ball! This will not only strengthen your abs and back, but you’ll also have no choice but to focus on your posture.

4) Go for walks

Dedicate some of your break time for a walk either inside the building itself or better yet, outside for that well-needed breath of fresh air. Which colleague will you ask to be your walking buddy?

As you can see, with little effort from your end, you can easily get your daily dose of activity also from your desk. Whether you decide to simply pick up one of the above points or all of them, keep in mind that “something” is always better than “nothing”! Reward yourself for being healthy with Health Insurance from Laferla. Get a free online quote today!