We now know that sitting continuously for long hours is bad for your health. Most women working in corporate jobs or running a business empire are sitting at a desk, inactive with hunched backs causing bad posture. Too much sitting can be blamed for health ailments such as weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other problems like back pain. Standing desks and office desk exercises are a simple and easy way to start caring for your health. These easy exercises can be performed at work without equipment and will help you stretch your body.
7 Significant Benefits Of Desk Exercises
Desk exercises can have multiple health benefits if you have a sedentary lifestyle in an effective and time-saving manner. A few of them are:
- Helps manage stress
- Improved productivity and work performance
- Better sleep
- Improved mental health and mood booster
- Reduced risk of joint and back pain
- Improved creativity
- High energy
10 Desk Exercises To Boost Your Metabolism
1. Arm Circles
One of the office chair exercises for your arms is arm circles. It strengthens your arms while helping you tone the fat in the arms.
How To Do It:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended straight out to sides at shoulder height
- Move your arms in a small backward circle
- Do 20 times in this direction, switch directions, and repeat
2. Wall Push-Ups/Desk Push-Ups
Push-ups are a great workout for the upper body and increase muscle strength. Depending on your comfort zone, you can either perform wall or desk push-ups.
How To Do It:
- Stand a few steps far away and place your hands on a desk or wall, wider than your shoulders
- Lower yourself down on the wall/desk and then push back up. Repeat
3. Squats
Squats are an office workout that is effective for building lower body strength. There are multiple variations of this exercise that can be performed once you master the basics.
How To Do It:
- Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart
- Lower yourself down by pushing your glutes backwards and touch your chair before raising up
4. Triceps Dips
As the name suggests, it’s one of the office chair exercises that focuses on your triceps. You will need a stationary chair to perform this exercise.
How To Do It:
- Place palms flat on the chair, bend your elbows straight back, and lower yourself straight down several inches, keeping your back as close to the chair as possible
- Then straighten your arms to rise back to start
5. Calf Raises
This is a simple but effective calf toner. It increases flexibility in your legs and relieves knee pain too. You can do them any time of the day without having to leave your desk.
How To Do It:
- Stand up behind your chair and hold on for support
- Raise your heels off the floor until you are standing on your toes
- Slowly lower yourself back to the floor
6. Wall Sits
This office workout is so easy and only requires a wall. It is one of the most effective full-body exercises that has a large impact on your health.
How To Do It:
- Slide your back down a wall until your hips are at the same level as your knees and your knees are together at 90-degree angles
- Maintain the position for 30 to 60 seconds, then release
7. Lunges
Lunges work your entire legs and is one of the quickest desk exercises to perform at work. They can also be increased in terms of difficulty by adding weights or increasing the repetitions performed thereby giving a strong workout.
How To Do It:
- With one leg in front of the other, gently lower the knee of your back leg down towards the ground
- Alternate with each leg
8. Seated Bicycle Crunches
A complete office chair exercises must include workouts for the abs and core muscles too. This exercise can be performed while sitting at your desk and can be done in a few minutes.
How To Do It:
- Sit in your chair with your feet flat on the floor
- Position your hands behind your head and lift one knee toward the opposite elbow, twisting your body down toward it
- Alternate with other side
9. Crossed Leg Lifts
Sitting all day can actually deteriorate your muscles, causing loss of strength and flexibility. This simple exercise engages your calf muscles, helping to keep you moving even while you’re sitting.
How To Do It:
- Grasp the sides of a stationary chair with your legs resting on your toes
- Straighten one leg completely to form a right angle with your upper body, and point the toe
- Keep your abs tight as you lift the leg an inch, then lower an inch, completing 15 to 20 lifts
- Repeat with the opposite leg
10. Neck Rolls
Sitting for a long time can stiffen up your muscles, hence it’s important to regularly stretch them out. Your office stretching exercises must include neck rolls as they target the neck and shoulder muscles which get hunched due to bad posture.
How To Do It:
- Relax and lean your head forward
- Slowly roll your head in a circle one side for 10 seconds
- Repeat on the other side
Exercise at work might be challenging to get into, but it’ll no doubt improve the working day tenfold. Office workout is a good way to get your daily exercise in and who knows you may inspire your colleagues to workout too. Get rid of your excuses and start a simple fitness routine at work to get a boost of energy anytime you want. You can also practice this yoga for concentration and boosting the productivity at work.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How to lose fat fast?
A. To lose fat, only exercise will not be effective. In combination, one must eat protein-rich foods and watch their daily calorie intake. Being consistent with diet and exercise will eventually give the desired results.
Q. When is the best time to do this workout?
A. This workout can be done at any time of the day without any worries. Avoid exercising immediately after a meal, generally, a gap of 30-60 minutes after eating is recommended. You can also split the workout and do a few exercises in between your scheduled calls or meetings.
Q. How can I improve my office workout?
A. Desk workouts are a great starting place for a person who is a fitness beginner. Small changes like choosing the stairs instead of the elevators, walking to a colleague instead of emailing them are a good way to add to it. You can add a yoga mat or a resistance band to get in a more complete workout if your workplace allows.
