Blog | Best Exercises to do At Your Desk

It has been found time and time again that sitting down for extended periods of time can be very detrimental to your health. And more and more people are spending time in a seated position than ever before. We sit down as we drive to work, we sit at our desk for up to 8 hours, then we sit as we drive home to sit in front of the tv for another few hours.

All this sitting down adds up and can contribute to a whole host of health issues, which can include severe lower back and neck pain.

However sometimes all this sitting is unavoidable. But not all hope is lost, if you find yourself sitting at your desk for hours at a time, and suffering for it, simply perform these exercises while sitting at your desk in order to keep your body functioning as it should.

1. Leg raises – keeping your torso erect, and your hamstrings in contact with your chair simply straighten your leg until it is locked out. Repeat for 15 reps on each leg. Do three rounds.
2. Carpal tunnel reliever – stand at your desk, place your hands on the desktop with the palms down and rotated around so your fingers are pointing at you. Gently lower yourself down until you feel a stretch in your wrists and biceps.
3. Glute flexing – this is a simple one, and can be done inconspicuously. While sitting simply tense your glutes (bum) as hard as possible. This will help to tone the muscle and will promote blood-flow to the area.
4. Squats – stand and push your chair slightly back from you, with your arms out in front for balance simply squat down until you come into contact with your chair, before standing back up. Do 3 rounds of 20 reps.
5. Dips – grab the arms of your chair, and using your arms push yourself up out of your seat. This is great for working the arms, shoulders and chest. Do 3 rounds of 10 reps, after you have made sure that the chair can take your weight.
6. Shoulder raises – simply grab something, a stapler, a mug, a colleague, and while sitting with the implement in your hand raise your arms out to the side until they are fully extended, then lower under control. Perform 15 reps for 3 rounds.

If you do these simple exercises a couple of times a day then you will not only hold some of the injuries at bay, but you could also greatly improve your health. To learn more about desk exercises, or about any of the services that Yorkshire office group offer just call us on 01924 88 88 00.