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Desk exercices to get you off your duff
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From workawesome.com
1. Place your hands, palms down, on your lower back.
2. Point your fingers down and lean back.
3. Push your breastbone up toward the sky, keeping your elbows pointing straight back.
4. Hold for 15 seconds then relax.
5. Repeat the above steps twice.
1. Start with back straight and feet planted flat on the floor.
2. Place your hands flat on top of your right leg.
3. Lift your right leg from your hip flexor and fully extend it straight from the knee.
4. With your leg fully extended, flex your upper leg muscle and hold for 10 seconds.
5. Lower your right leg slowly, once again placing your foot flat on the floor.
6. Repeat exercise with the left leg.
7. Repeat the above steps twice.
Tip: You can also stretch out both legs under the desk for a minute. This exercise will enhance the blood flow to your legs and alleviate muscle cramps. While doing the above exercise you should feel a solid stretch in your calf muscle and a firm tightening of the upper leg quadriceps.
1. Sit up straight with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
2. Stretch your right arm in front of you and across your chest, as if you were grabbing something on your left side.
3. Bring your left arm under and in front of your right arm.
4. Gently hug your right arm in toward your chest.
5. Repeat with the arms reversed.
6. Relax your arms, letting them hang down loosely at your side.
7. Slowly roll both shoulders backward 10 times.
8. Slowly roll both shoulders forward 10 times.
1. Sit on the edge of your seat.
2. Lean back from the waist, keep your back straight.
3. Hold the seat of your chair with both hands.
4. Lift both legs up, keeping your knees bent while tightening your abdominal muscles.
5. Straighten your legs holding your heels a few inches off of the floor.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have completed 10 repetitions.
From Stew Smith, a former Navy Seal, www.military.com
Tip: Before stretching, walk around the office for about 3-5 minutes. Get some water. Go to the bathroom.
Tip: Do stretches for 15-30 seconds.
1. Slowly tilt your head toward your shoulder and hold for 10 seconds each side. Keep this one slow and easy. The neck is very easy to injure.
2. Pull your arm across your chest. Hook your other arm around it to pull the tension out of your upper back and rear shoulders.
3. Lean forward at the waist either from the standing position or sitting and bring your chest toward your thighs. Slowly try to straighten your legs, stretching your hamstrings.
4. Sit on left edge of your chair or stand. Grab your left ankle and pull it upward toward your buttocks. Switch sides.
5. Stand and lean into your desk with your heels on the floor. Bend your knees slightly to stretch your Achilles tendons.
1. Leg squats -- Stand in front of your chair and repeat sitting down and standing up 10 times three times a day.
2. Shoulder shrugs -- Pull your shoulders as high as you can and roll them forward 10 times and backward 10 times throughout the day.
3. Dumbbell curls -- While on the phone, you can grab a dumbbell and do bicep curls for 20 repetitions three times a day. Straighten your arms by your side and bring your hand (dumbbell) to your shoulder. Keep your palms up. Do one at a time if on the phone.
4. Bench dips -- Using your chair or sturdy table, place your hands on the edge of the object and bend your arms to slowly lower yourself about six inches lower than the seat. (Not for a chair on wheels.) Raise yourself by straightening your arms. Repeat this three times a day for 10 repetitions.
5. Assisted push-up -- In the office, lean up against your desk and push away from it while in a leaning position. Repeat three times a day for 10 repetitions.
From Ishani Chatterjee Shukla, www.buzzle.com
Using a swivel chair:
1. Sit with your backbone stretched and upright and hold the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumbs.
2. Keep your feet flat on the ground (adjust your chair's height so that your feet do not dangle loosely), suck your stomach in and use your core as the axis to swivel the chair from left to right and vice versa.
3. Do at least 4-5 sets of 20 rotations (1 rotation equaling 1 left-right-left set).
Tip: Imagine yourself to be the rotating tub of a washing machine and you'll get an idea of what kind of movement we're talking about.
From the Mayo Clinic, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/WL00030
Script for a standing exercise:
1. For the first stretch, place one hand on a chair or desk for stability. Grab one of your ankles and bring it up toward your buttock. You'll feel tension in the front of your thigh. Remember to maintain an upright position, keeping your back straight and your knees parallel to one another. If you have a hard time grabbing your ankle, grab your pant leg instead. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds and return to the starting position. Repeat the stretch with your other leg.
2. Next, stand up straight and fold your arms in front of your chest, rotating your trunk in one direction. Keep your hips facing forward and your feet hip-width distance apart. You'll feel tension in your back. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and return to the starting position. Rotate your trunk in the other direction and repeat.
Tip: When you're stretching, keep it gentle. Breathe freely as you hold each stretch and be careful not to bounce. Expect to feel tension while you're stretching. If you feel pain, you've gone too far.
First Published October 15, 2012 12:00 am
