20 exercises you can do while sitting at your desk

20 exercises you can do while sitting at your desk.

If you are reading this article right now while you are sitting, stop! Well, don’t stop reading. But you can continue standing up. Later I will give you some exercises to do while sitting at your desk.

Why would you need such exercises?

Well, if you’re like most people today, you probably spend a lot of time at your desk reading emails. Or maybe you spend a lot of time browsing social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Everything around us right now causes us to spend most of our time sitting. Unfortunately, this long sitting is literally killing us.

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 3.2 million deaths can be attributed to a lack of physical activity. Our sedentary lifestyles are responsible for the increased risk of diabetes and heart disease as well as for the loss of muscle and bone strength. Perhaps even more concerning is that people who exercise regularly may not have enough movement in their lives to counteract the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.

Sitting for a long time makes you fat

On average, we spend about 9.5 hours a day sitting. And if we compare that to the 7.5 hours we spend sleeping, we find that we spend much of our day sitting still.

Let’s take a look at a typical work day. You often drive to work and come home as well in the comfortable seat of your car. Or you may be sitting on a less comfortable seat if you are traveling by train or bus but are still sitting. Then you walk into the office and sit at your desk and stare at the screensaver displayed on your PC of a remote tropical beach while listening to the recorded audio messages. You might even do all the meetings and conference calls while sitting.

Your lunch may also be delivered to your office so that you can eat while you continue to work. Then on the way home, you sit longing to get to your couch and take a break from your workload.

All of this explains why that hour of working out with an Orbitrek machine won’t save you. This whole sitting greatly affects the increase in the rate of obesity.

The good news is that with more activity throughout the day, we can actually reduce the inevitable weight gain associated with this sedentary lifestyle. We can lose up to 20 pounds of weight.

With just a few simple changes to your lifestyle, you can go a long way in keeping yourself healthy and happy.

The way we sit is wrong

There are endless ways to add more activity to your day. You can do some exercises while sitting at your desks, such as chair exercises and stretching exercises, and make them a part of your daily routine. But before we start talking about the different ways you can exercise at your desk, you should know that one of the best ways to get rid of back pain and stiff neck is to make sure that you are sitting properly.

Let’s be honest, though most of what we do is sit, we’re not very good at it. We always push our heads forward. As you know, our heads are heavy and the more we push them forward instead of keeping them aligned with our spine, the heavier they become.

Continuing to push the head forward in this way creates constant pressure on all the nerves. Which leads to severe headaches at the base of the skull. If this becomes a chronic condition for you, it causes fatigue and aches and can have serious consequences such as asthma, sciatic nerve pain, spinal cord compression, and arthritis.

Keeping your office chair at the right height can greatly reduce neck and back strain. Your feet should be flat on the floor and your knees and hips should be at a 90-degree angle. You should also keep your lower back pressed against the chair to help maintain good posture. One of the most important things you can do to avoid a forward head position is to make sure the top third of your screen is above eye level.

Do stretching exercises at your desk

1. Elastic neck

Sit upright and lower your right ear so that it is aligned with your right shoulder (they don’t have to be touching). Hold this position for a few seconds and then repeat for the left side.

2. Raise your arms high

Interlock your fingers and lift them up to the sky as high as you can. Keep your palms facing the ceiling.

3. Look around

Turn your head to the left and try to look over your shoulder. Hold this position for a few seconds and then repeat on the right side.

4. Move your head left and right

Put your chin under your chest, then gently roll your head from side to side.

5. Shrug your shoulders

Lift your shoulders toward your ears and hold for a few seconds, then lower them. Repeat several times.

6. Opening the chest

Put your hands behind your back and press your palms together. Sit upright in this position for 5-10 seconds.

7. Seated soldier exercise

Sit up straight and extend your right arm high toward the ceiling. Straighten your left leg and lift it up while your right arm is lowered, trying to touch your left foot. Do this exercise 8 or 10 times on each side.

8. Knee hug

Bend your knee and lift your right leg up, then pick it up with your arms and pull it as close to your chest as you can. Hold for 5-10 seconds and make sure to do this on the left side as well.

9. Raise and bend the arm

Extend your right arm over your head and try to reach it to the left side and gently bend it. Hold this position for a few seconds, then repeat on the other side.

10. Knee compression

Place your right ankle on your left knee and then gently tap the right knee a few times. After you finish on the right side, make sure to do the same on the left side as well.

Conclusion

You now have a lot of exercises that you can do to maintain your health and lose weight. The important thing is to realize how much time you spend sitting to get up and do some movement.

Ideally, you should get up from your desk at least once every hour, even if you don’t want to work out at your desk. Set an alarm to remind you to stop staring at the worksheet and get up for any movement. Walking just two minutes an hour can reduce the negative effects of sitting. Get up and get moving now!

20 exercises you can do while sitting at your desk.

20 exercises you can do while sitting at your desk