The Exercise You Can Do While at The Office

 

If you have a desk job, you might be spending most of the time sitting down like a couch potato operating the computer. And to kill the boredom, you might eat unhealthy snacks like biscuits and chips during work hours. All this can lead to serious complications like obesity, backache, and poor digestion in the long run. Sitting for long periods without moving can hamper your brain. Moving wakes your brain up and allows the creative juices to flow again.

 

So what can you do at work to stay healthy and productive all day long? The answer is exercise! Exercise improves our mood and reduces weight and stress. An article from the Huffington Post highlighted that office exercises could improve brainpower, increase energy, enhance memory, and improve creativity. If you don’t exercise regularly, your health and job can be at risk. 

 

Now you might be wondering if it is possible to do exercise at your workplace. The answer is yes! There are many office exercises you can do within the comfort of your workspace. These exercises can’t replace traditional strength training but will keep your body moving without getting away from your desk.

 

Benefits of Office Exercises

 

Office exercises are an excellent way to stay healthy and active and boost your productivity. These exercises can save you from the chronic diseases you can have sitting in front of your computer for hours with zero physical activity. Let’s take a look at the benefits of an office fitness workout.

 

• Improves Your Mood- Acute bursts of exercise can cause positive changes in your mood. 
• Better Sleep- Deep sleep helps you avoid stress, sickness, and depression. Several studies have proven that exercise helps stabilize sleep patterns. Moderate exercise can help insomnia patients improve their overall health condition.
• Increases Brain Power- Workouts help produce chemicals required by the brain to perform functions like problem-solving and multitasking. A combination of resistance and weight training exercises can increase your brain power.
• Cuts Health Care Costs- Employees who exercise regularly don’t fall ill, often saving major health care costs. When a company offers fitness and health benefits like a gym membership plan, it significantly impacts the cost incurred on medical provisions.

 

Best Office Exercises

 

If you can’t take a thirty to forty-minute break to work out at work, you can do these office exercises to get the most out of your day.

 

Sitting And Stretching- Stretch all the parts of your body from your head to toe.  Tilt your head towards your left shoulder and stay in that position for ten seconds. Do the same towards your right shoulder. Now, roll your shoulders and feet backward and forward in a circular motion ten times. Tap your toes or keep them on the floor drum. If you do so at regular intervals, the blood flow on your foot will remain intact.

 

Foot Stretches: Sit on your chair and hold one of your legs up. Point the toes upwards. Rotate your foot in a circular motion to get rid of the lethargic feeling in the leg.

 

Arabesque Circles: This is one of the best chair exercises that can be performed while talking on the phone. If you perform this exercise regularly, it will tone your hamstrings and glutes. Keep your left leg behind you and circle your leg. Repeat for twenty circles. You can do the same with the right leg.

 

Squats- Stand tall behind your office chair and keep your back straight. Keep your hands stretched out and feet shoulder-width apart. Lower down and touch your chair. Ensure that your knees are parallel to your toes. Lift back up to the standing position after five to ten seconds. Repeat ten times or more for the best results. 

 

Water Bottle Dumbbells- This is a great office fitness workout wherein you replace regular dumbbells with a water bottle. If you have two bottles, hold one in each hand. Now bend your knees and squat- You can also use a water bottle to perform arm curls. Bend your elbows properly and raise the water bottle toward your shoulders to strengthen your upper arm. Lift your bottle overhead for a few seconds to strengthen your shoulders. This way, your water bottle will offer you a complete body workout.

 

Corporate Calisthenics- Hold on to the photocopier, printer, chair, or desk for support. Place both feet on the ground. Lift your left leg back, keeping it straight, and after a few seconds, slowly lower it. Repeat ten times, then do the same on the other leg.

 

Kegel Exercise: This is one of the best office fitness workouts to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. It will also help you in controlling your urinary incontinence. To do this exercise, you need to contract your pelvic muscles completely for five seconds and repeat it at least four to five times a day.

 

Desk Donkey Kicks- This is one of the most effective desk workouts you can perform without any equipment. Lean against your desk while keeping your body in a straight line. Now stand on one leg and bend the other leg’s knee at 90 degrees. While maintaining the 90-degree bend, kick your leg as far as you can. Pause for ten to fifteen minutes and slowly return to the starting position. Remember to inhale while lowering and exhale while kicking. Repeat ten to fifteen times on each side. 

 

Ways To Stay Active at the Workplace

 

Here are a few ways to stay active and fit at the workplace.

 

• Walk as often as possible. Go and speak to your colleagues rather than emailing them.
• Take the stairs and ignore the lift.
• Try some breathing exercises at your workplace to improve your concentration.
• Use a pedometer to keep track of the number of steps you take in a day. Aim for ten thousand steps a day.