Your Guide to “Desk Exercise” at Workplace and Staying Fit

For those who love exercising but find it difficult to fit it into their daily schedules especially with offices reopening after an almost two years halt, you might want to try and do some desk exercise and workouts that will help you stay fit and healthy. Most of us spend the majority of our day at the work desk, almost 8-10 hours we are at the desk. Wellness and health are imperative, and one does not always need a yoga mat, plates, and dumbbells to exercise and keep healthy; desk exercise or what is now commonly called ‘Desk exercise’ is the new trend.

Excessive sitting comes with counterproductive effects on our health. Poor posture with little to no movements can cause musculoskeletal disorders. Apart from neck pain, lower back pain, and stress, it can also lead to high blood pressure, and weight gain; and in certain cases, some heart ailments, diabetes, and other chronic conditions can also prevail.

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Even spending the least 10-12 minutes exercising at the desk can help with blood flow and provide energy to go all day long. Analysis shows that in order to avoid being desk potatoes and just staying in one position, little to moderate movements till the water cooler, using stairs in place of the lift, talking while walking etc. are some easy ways that can help. The business will also be in turn rewarded well when the employees stay fit and healthy.

Here are some desk exercises that can be performed, the benefits of which are endless, right from keeping the weight in check, improving health conditions, uplifting the mood, and ultimately boosting energy needed for prolonged hours of sitting. A few of them include:

• Neck twists: In a straight sitting position, lean your head forward, slowly turn the neck in the left direction, pause, and repeat the same in the right direction. Try to do it 3-4 times on either side. When you find yourself unable to get away from the desk, this is one of the best exercises to perform.
• Shoulder stretches: Hold your hands together; bring them above your head with the palms facing upwards, and try to push the arms or stretch them as much as you can. This is a great way to help release the neck and shoulder tension while on a desk.
• Hamstring pulls: This is a simple one that can be done while just sitting on the chair. Place both the feet on the ground, extend one led outward, and try to touch your toes, hold it for 2-3 deep breaths, and then repeat the same with the other leg.
• Wrists and finger stretch: This is by far one of the most important and useful desk exercises since most of our time goes texting or typing on screens. Hold your hands straight in front of you with the palms facing down and the fingers facing inwards toward your body. To make the maximum of the stretch, hold it till you feel the tension release or hear those cracking noises from between the fingers. This can be repeated any number of times throughout the day.
• Oblique turns: A lot of us sit on a swivel chair; why not use it as a prop to help exercise? Sit upright and with the feet a little above the ground, twirl it around while holding on to the edge of the table. You can do this back and forth 10-15 times, this helps fix the oblique abs.
• Shoulder shrugs: Apart from shoulder stretches, this is another exercise that can be done sitting on a chair, raising the shoulders together upwards toward the ears, and dropping them simultaneously. This can also be repeated 8-10 times.
• Flutter kicks: This is not an actual kick, since we need to remember and respect the office environment as well, it simply is an exercise that works on the obliques and abdominals. Lift one foot 5-6 inches above the ground and pause, return the foot and repeat it with the other alternatively. Try this at least 10 times with both the legs.
• Chest stretch: Clasp your hands behind your lower back and push the chest outwards while slightly raising your chin, if you can, try and hold it for about 2-3 deep breaths. You can feel the stretch in your upper body with this exercise.
• Lower abs lift: Often you don’t want your co-workers to know you are exercising or stretching, this leg lift is one such exercise. Sit straight with your feet on the ground, slowly lift one leg up, while keeping the core tight, almost to a 90 degree, and try it out with the other one alternatively. You can do this for 8-10 seconds with both the legs around 7-8 reps each. To take the most out of this stretch, try lifting both the legs up together too.

A piece of caution while working on these stretches is to not overdo them, though with each exercise you might feel a tension release or a muscle stretched, do only what is comfortable, as it is the workplace, we are referring to here.

Too much sitting and less physical activity can hamper healthy lipid levels in the body. Book a lipid profile test and know for yourself.

Bottomline
Physical activity can do wonders for our minds and bodies. If you work in an office setting and sit for the majority of the day, then implementing workplace wellness solutions related to exercise is critical. Next time you feel tired and your body feels strained, you can go for these easy exercises and stretches. They will help get the blood moving, pump up energy for the day long, build up strength and also prevent stiffness or any injury in the body. If you experience any discomfort, you can consult a doctor, they would be able to guide you better on how to proceed with moderation.

These exercises do not require any kind of investment except for taking out some time that is essential to counter the effects of sitting in front of the screen all day. The more you move about, the better you will be able to maintain your energy

Along with physical activity, health checkups are crucial to maintain a healthy body. Find comprehensive health packages here.