Super 7 Desk Exercises at Work to Keep You in Shape!

Are you sitting and reading this article? Well, it’s time you should stop and think how long do you SIT and READ on the screens! We know the technological advancement has forced us to stay fixed with the computer screens leaving us deskbound for longer durations, however, entertainment is not the only purpose any longer. Modern-day jobs involve a sedentary lifestyle whether you work with an IT firm, a government establishment or any other industry. But, have you ever thought of the numerous repercussions to your health? This is too obvious nowadays to guess that you spend all your time going through e-mails or scrolling through your favourite social media. Have you realized that all of these are restricting your physical movements as you don’t budge from your place? We get so engrossed in the mechanism of working and earning that we don’t even leave the desk to have food, to eat and work simultaneously!
According to WHO, an estimated 3.2 million deaths in the world attribute to a lack of physical activity. The sedentary lifestyle being followed by most of us is responsible for increasing the risk of heart disease and diabetes as well as the loss of muscle and bone strength.
We spend a lot of time sitting! On average we spend more than 9 hours sitting, and 7+ hours sleeping, don’t you think that’s too much sitting!! The impact of this may lead to an increased rate of obesity and other related diseases.
It’s high time that you understand that sitting idle at one place for longer is going to harm your health immensely. Also, it’s time to break the myth that being at the office and sitting on a chair for the whole day means a sacrifice of your exercise routine!

Here are a few exercises to get you going…

1. Chair Squats

Take time for these between meetings, on calls or any time. Stand up from your chair, lower your body back down, stopping right before you sit back down. (Keep your weight in your heels to work those glutes). Then stand back up again. Do it at least 10 reps at once.

2. Squats

This exercise is quite similar to chair squats with a slight variation. From your chair, stand up, sit back down and repeat 10 more times. Simple! You can look left and right alternatively along with this to do a little exercise of your neck as well to relieve the strain.

3. Tricep Dips

Tricep dips can be done pretty much anywhere. Use your desk or your chair if it doesn’t have wheels on it. Position your hands shoulder-width apart on that desk or chair, then move your butt off the chair with your legs extended out in front of you. Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.

4. Calf Raises

Stand up behind your chair and hold on for support. You can even take the support of the cubicle to do so. Raise your heels off the floor until you are standing on your toes. Slowly lower yourself back to the floor. Do 3 sets of 10 reps each.

5. Shoulder Press

Look around the office and find an old phone book or a ream of paper, something that weighs a few pounds. You can even use 2 water bottles of 1-litre capacity. Hold it at shoulder height and then raise it all the way overhead. 10 reps. 3 times.

6. Lunges

You can keep this move stationary and do it at your desk, or you could go all out and lunge down the hall to the printer and back. With one leg in front of the other, gently lower the knee of the leg that is at the back down towards the ground. Like you were going to propose to a co-worker. 10 times on each leg. Keep your hands at your sides. You can even hold some weight on both hands.

7. Desk Push-Ups

First things first: Make sure your desk is sturdy enough to support your body weight! Then, take a few steps back, so you can place your hands flat on your desk, a little wider than shoulder-width. Lower yourself down towards your desk, keeping your core tight. Then push back up until arms are straight but not locked. Try to do 20 reps.
There are countless ways to inculcate more activity in your daily life. There are plenty of desk and chair exercises that you can incorporate into your daily routine. But one of the best ways to eliminate back pain and stiff necks is to make sure that your posture is correct and you sit properly. For all the sitting we do, honestly, we aren’t very good at it. Being out of alignment causes aches and fatigue that can have serious consequences such as asthma, disc compression, arthritis, and sciatic nerve pain.
Your neck and back strain can be drastically reduced if your desk chair is at the right height, your knees and hips are at a 90-degree angle and your feet are flat on the floor. To maintain a good posture, keep your lower back pressed against your chair. Another important hack you can try to maintain a good posture is to make sure that the top one-third of your monitor is above eye level.
You now have a lot of tips and tricks to save yourself from a sedentary lifestyle and reduce your waistline. Ideally, you should get up from your desk at least once an hour even if it’s not an exercise. Set an alarm to remind you to stop looking at your screen and get up and move! Or, you can wear a health band or fitness band to remind you to wake up and get moving. Walking for just a few minutes an hour can reduce the negative effects of sitting. You aren’t still sitting, are you?
GET UP! GET MOVING!!