Exercise While You Work At Your Desk
In a perfect world, we would all be able to make time in our busy work schedules so that we could exercise and get in shape. The reality is that many people spend a large portion of their day tied to a desk, but that doesn’t mean that exercise is out of the question. There are a number of exercises that can be performed while sitting in a chair, all of which are also good for seniors or people with limited mobility. You can even get a bit of a workout in while you sit and watch your favorite shows on TV.
If you have back issues, pelvic tilts are an excellent way to combat the problem. To perform this exercise, simply use your pelvic area to press backwards towards the chair back. Once your lower back is in contact with the rear of the chair, let go of the pressure and return to your normal sitting position. Repeat those movement 10 or 20 times each session. It’s a great way to build lower back strength without putting a lot of strain on the area
You can also work the upper part of your body while sitting in your chair. Shoulder shrugs involve nothing more than simply raising and lowering your shoulders. You can also move your shoulders in circles to work other areas of the upper body. Give you neck muscles a work by rolling your head in a circle, followed by tilting it from side to side. Sitting in a chair all day can be uncomfortable, and these simple movements can help prevent you from feeling stiff and achy at the end of the work day
If you spend a lot of time working on a computer, your hands and fingers can quickly get tired and achy. Regularly stretching and flexing your fingers will help relieve some of that stress, as can moving your wrists in a circular motion. You can also get a bit of a chest workout by locking your hands behind your back and performing and upward pushing motion. These are not exercises designed to make you look buff, but rather simple movements to get the blood flowing again after hours of sitting and barely moving
It’s also a good idea to invest in some smaller weights that you can keep in your office. Ankle weight are great if you want to work your legs while sitting at your desk. Once that weights are on, lift and stretch out your legs, holding that pose for a couple of seconds before putting your feet back to their normal position. When you get a coffee or lunch break, use that time to get some work in with your weights. If doing that, make sure to stretch first so that you don’t tweak a muscle
Finally, you might even consider ditching the chair altogether in favor of an exercise ball. It may feel a little awkward at first, but it really does help with your posture. You can also use the exercise ball to do some mile exercise routines when you get a break from work
