by Eugene Teslya

Created on: April 26, 2010

Do you spend most of your day in the office “chained” to your desk? Finding time for a workout is an ever-present challenge? The only exercise you get is a trip to the water cooler – which is now replaced with a corporate branded water thermos on your desk? If you are looking for ways to introduce more exercise time to your busy schedule, the following “office desk workout” can be your answer.

Before starting an office desk workout, carefully explore the surroundings to know the limitation of your “gym equipment”, to prevent possible injuries and office furniture replacement liability. Is your chair stable and strong enough or is it ready to roll-and-flip? Is your desk solid and sturdy or is it a leg-less shelf attached to the wall of the cubicle? Depending on your particular situation you may modify the following exercises accordingly.

Neck

If you spend your entire day at the desk in front of the computer monitor, your neck muscles are probably stressed which can lead to neck pain or migraine. To ease the tension in the neck - perform the following exercise. Sit straight, put your forearms on your knees, relax. Close your eyes and roll them in circles (both directions). This should give your eyes some rest. Now, open your eyes and slowly move them to your right, when you reach the farthest point - start moving your head. Keep the shoulders in place. Slowly return back and repeat to the other side. Roll your head. Put your palm on a side of your head - push your head to the side, toward the shoulder while resisting with your neck muscle, then push your head back while applying resistance with your arm. Repeat few times then switch the arm. Also perform forward and backward movements by pushing hands to the forearm and putting them on the back of a head.

Spine stretches

Sit straight, put your arms on a top of your thighs – push yourself up with your arms. This exercise stretches your spine and releases the buildup tension in your back.

Spine twists

Sit straight, turn to the side and grab the back of the chair and the handle (or the seat) with both arms. Slowly twist your upper body to one side, with hands helping to reach further. Switch to the other side.

Upper body

Sit close to your desk, straighten the legs under, and put your forearms on a desk's top palms down, fingers pointing forward. Now, tighten your abs's muscles and press hands down. Imaging that you are trying to lift yourself up using only your hands - keep the legs stretched forward.

Legs

Put the chair in the middle of the open space (away from the table), sit on the edge, place your right leg firmly on the floor (shin perpendicular to the floor). Put both palms on the right knee and lean forward. Lift the heel off the floor lifting the weight of your body, then press with your arms to slowly lower it down. Keep your abs tight to get an extra workout. Remember to switch the legs.

With these exercises you can start feeling benefits within the first week. When you'll get used to the exercises and start doing it on a regular basis - you may consider bringing to your office a rubber band or a dumbbell. If you think that finding time for such a workout is impossible - remember that you don't have to do it all at once. Do a squat every time you get up from the chair, stand when answering the phone all these little efforts build up. 

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