Sitting at your desk for long periods of time can have many negative effects on your body. If you are bound to a chair for many hours of the day, here are some exercises that you can perform at your desk to help combat the health concerns.
Remember to keep breathing normally through your stretches and exercises and don’t push further than feels comfortable for you. You may also find that with continued practice you will become more flexible and find a deeper range.
Don’t forget! Simply getting up and taking a walk every hour will keep your body active and lead to better health.
5 exercises to do at your desk
1. Shoulder and chest stretch
Sitting in front of a computer all day can lead to poor posture, as well as tightness and weakness in the shoulder and back muscles. This simple stretch can help encourage you to keep good posture, with those shoulders back:
- Clasp your hands behind your back.
- Push your chest outward and raise your chin.
- Hold the pose for 30 seconds.
2. Neck stretch
Sitting for several hours a day can also cause significant postural strain in the neck. As you begin to experience soreness during the day, the muscles around the neck compensate and begin to become tense. Continuous tensing can then lead to muscle fatigue and more pain. This easy neck stretch can help to loosen those muscles and avoid the development of pain:
- Lean your head forward.
- Slowly roll the head towards one side and hold for 10 seconds.
- Slowly roll the head forward and around to the other side and hold for 10 seconds.
- Lift your chin back up to the starting position, looking forward.
- Repeat this sequence 3 times.
3. Seated knee-to-chest
Weakened abdominals can be caused by long hours in a seated position. An inactive core can mean less support of the spine and can lead to back vulnerability and pain. This knee to chest exercise will remind you to keep those abs switched on, even during a busy workday:
- Sit in your chair with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Hold the bottom of your chair for support, then pull your knees in towards your chest whilst tightening your abs.
- Slowly return to the starting position with control.
- Repeat 10 times.
4. Squats
Prolonged durations of sitting often leads to stiff hips and weakened glutes. Over time this can cause strain on the hips, knees, and ankles. Some squats by your desk chair will help fire up those glutes and keep the hips mobile:
- Stand tall with your chair behind you.
Sink your hips back and down into a squat until your bottom very lightly touches your chair (remember to keep your knees in line with your toes). - Drive back up through your heels to a standing position keeping your knees soft at the top.
- Repeat 10 times.
5. Seated leg extensions
Poor circulation and the build-up of fluid in the lower body from sitting for long periods of time can cause pain and discomfort in the legs. Not only does it lead to weakened glutes as mentioned earlier, but also weakened leg muscles including the quads. These seated leg extensions will help keep those quads active:
- Sit tall in your chair with your feet planted firmly into the ground.
- Lift one leg straight out in front of you until it is parallel with the floor – squeeze your quads as you do this.
- Hold for 3-5 seconds then lower back down to the ground.
- Repeat this 10 times on each side.
How did that feel for you? We hope you’re feeling less tense and ready to tackle the rest of your day. Whether working from the office or home, studying in the library or hunched over a book, try to remember to fit these into your workday for good posture, health and wellness.
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