Let’s face it, sitting down at your desk all day can be a real pain. With over 54% of American office workers suffering with a bad back or aching joints, workouts that very require little space are more popular than ever before. Take a step back from the computer and spend a few minutes performing the exercises below, all of which are perfectly suited to any office setting:
From the desk:
All of these exercises can be done from the comfort of your desk, they are much more discrete and do not require you to be standing:
1. Seated Steps – Start your sit-down workout with a bit of cardio to get your blood flowing. Essentially, this exercise is just running on the spot while sitting down, easy enough!
2. Seated Leg Raises – Hold the sides of your chair and raise your legs so that they are parallel to the floor. Place them back on the ground and repeat this process for 30 seconds.
3. Hovering Leg Raises – Instead of doing continuous leg raises, why not go for a few long repetitions? Bring your legs up again, parallel to the floor but bring them done in a slow, controlled way.
4. Glute Squeeze – Everyone’s favorite. Keep your buttocks tensed for ten seconds and repeat 3-4 times, taking a brief 5 second rest in between.
5. Toe Raises – Place your heels on the ground and slowly lift the front of your foot up then down. This simple exercise is great for improving strength and definition in the lower legs.
With a bit more space:
If you have a room to yourself or work from home, these exercises are more suited to you:
1. Squats – Stand with your feet in line with your shoulders and your toes pointing forward. Bend down and back up again, repeat 5-10 times and give yourself a few minutes of rest afterwards.
2. Wall Sit – Strengthen your quadriceps by performing a wall sit. Keep your back against the wall and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold this for 30 seconds.
3. Chair Dips – Grip onto either side of the chair and ensure that your feet are flat on the floor. Use your triceps to push yourself slowly off the chair and back down again. For added difficulty, try to slow the dip down as much as possible.
4. Shadow Boxing – Having a stressful day? Clients starting to getting on your nerves? If so, this is definitely the exercise option for you. There are many different guides online showcasing how to shadow box – staying on your toes while throwing punches forward into the air are the only 2 consistent requirements.
5. Calf Raises – Stand up straight and push up your heels so that you are standing on your tip toes. Control your heels as you lower yourself slowly back down and repeat when your feet are flat on the ground.
Not only will incorporating these exercises into your work routine help to alleviate symptoms of sore joints, they will also leave you feeling better mentally and ready to take on whatever is thrown your way. Just remember to stay hydrated and ensure you are given sufficient rest time between repetitions.
