Exercises You Can Do at or Near Your Desk

As we progress and as we go along with the fast-pacing kind of lifestyle of the world most adults get the type of job that is more on seating in front of a computer for eight hours. Those types of job that does not necessarily require having the muscle move a lot. The routine that can be noticed among adults today, especially the adults who work in the office is, some minutes seated in a bus, car or train going to work, then more or less eight hours seated in front of the computer or piles of papers at work, minutes more seated when commuting going home, and then after dinner, they seat in front of the television and relax.

Having this type of routine five times a week does not do the body any favor at all. This type of routine often leads to gaining a lot of weight as there is little to not much body movement. Aside from gaining a lot of weight when most of the time during the day, you are seated, you also get to develop poor posture, it would also be more likely that you strain your eyes, back, neck and wrist and you will also have tense muscles. Aside from having a bad effect to your physical self, office jobs tend to make you feel really bored and it would more likely lead to depression and stress. One of the surveys conducted at Yale University has shown that 29 percent of the workers feel a bit or extremely depressed at work. This stress that is usually felt can lead to cardiovascular diseases, depression and other health issues. It may also even lead to very low energy level even if the body is well rested.

Now, with this dilemma at hand, how do you deal with this kind of routine so that you can avoid the adverse effects of having an office job that makes you sit most of the time you are in the office? Well of course, you have to exercise. You do not need to go to the gym to exercise, and you most definitely do not have to leave the office for simple exercises to be possible. All you have to do is spare some minutes when possible. Probably when you have to breath for five to ten minutes, or it is your tea break and you still have a few remaining minutes to dedicate to exercise. There is always a way, you just have to swim your way to it.

Aside from doing your body a favor as you do this anyway to combat the routine’s adverse effects to your body and mind, you will also actually do the company you work for a favor because exercises, no matter how simple and short they are, help in boosting the mood and it improves your concentration. When your mood is better and you can concentrate much more, you will definitely become more productive at what you do.

Below are some of the best and simple exercises you can do at or near your desk.

Jogs and jumps

These are the best cardio exercises you can do and you need not to go far to do it. You can jog and jump in place anyway. The first chance you get, you can do jogs and then the next, you can do some jumps. You get your heart racing even in just 45 seconds of doing so which means, for a break or a rest that lasts for five minutes, you can already do a lot of favor for your body, and of course, your heart.

Bring small things that can help with your exercise

The most common thing that someone whose job is mostly in the office would bring are elastic bands and hand gripper. You can use these things to exercise your arms really well especially when they are free like when you have to read long files and emails, and when you are watching a video or you are hearing an audio with your earphones on. Bring some dumbbells as well. These dumbbells can be used for simple lifting that you can do while you are on a call, while working on your computer, while walking around, or while doing some exercising and you want that exercise to be more effective and a bit more challenging. You can use dumbbells in almost everything you will do in the office, except of course when you are in a meeting or when both your hands are occupied. But, you can just imagine the many things you can do to keep fit when you have dumbbells with you.

Maximize the use of the wall

Have a wall near you? You can use it for exercising. You can do so by leaning your back against the wall and you bend your knees as you slide down the wall until you reach to the point when your thigh is already parallel to the floor. If it is too simple and too boring for you and you feel like you can still give your body some help for more fat burning, you can try crossing your left ankle to your right knee and then switch. You can do this exercise while you are talking to a workmate or while you are reading an article, or while you are checking your phone.

Do Some Walking…or lots of them

Going to talk to a colleague two floors down or you have to tell your boss something, quit the ignore the messaging app or the e-mail and instead, walk to his or her office or cubicle and, do not take the elevator going down. Take the stairs as you go there and still take the stairs when you go back to your cubicle. Whenever possible, opt for a walk instead of taking the easier route. Do some walking at least every thirty minutes. It is not only good for the body to be moving and be more alert. It is also to improve the circulation of blood in the body. Less body movement means not having the needed circulation of blood in the body which is why it is important that you do a lot of movements whenever you find the opportunity to do so.

Abdomen Squeeze

This is a simple exercise you can do when you are seated during a meeting, when you are taking some calls, or when you are reading papers. You can even do it when you are walking! All you have to do is take a deep breath and then, tighten your abdominal muscles. Bring them in towards the spine as you exhale. Hold the squeeze for eight to ten seconds and then let go. Do this ten times.

Below are some more of the guided exercises you can do to while at work

Simple Exercise 1 (Working on legs while seated)

When you are on your seat, straighten both of your legs for at least 10 seconds. After holding for at least 10 seconds, lower your legs to the ground but do not have them touch the floor. Do this for ten times or even more if you can. If you are still not that fit to do the exercise with both legs, you can use just one leg first and move on to the next leg after the 10 (or more!) reps. If, however, it is too easy for you and you want a bit of a challenge or you want faster fat burning, strap some weight on your ankle. Of course, heavier weight means it will be more challenging. The thing is, heavier weight also means faster fat burning.

Simple Exercise 2 (Semi-squats)

Stand up and have your feet 12 inches apart, with hips positioned as if you are seating on a chair. Reach your arms forward and have your hands be at the same level as your shoulders. Then after that, you stand and as you stand, you move your arms backwards to as far as you can go. Do at least ten reps. Should you want it to be more challenging and more effective, have a pound of weight on each hand.

Simple Exercise 3

Go behind your chair and hold it as you will be needing it as your support. As you are holding the back of your chair, kick a foot back then aim your heel to the top of your thigh. Slowly lower the foot back down after and then do the same to the other leg. Do at least 15 reps for each leg, go do what you have to do, and then do 15 more reps. You can also do this with the wall as your support. Be creative.

Simple Exercise 4 (Shadow Boxing)

Do some shadow boxing. Boxing moves do not look really helpful when you do it because it will not make you feel that tired when you are doing it but, you will eventually feel how it worked on your arms after a day. Even just a 30 second shadow boxing can make a difference without tiring you out immediately which is why you can do some shadow boxing for a minute(and even more). Just make sure that when you are doing this, you have a bit of space so you will not end up hitting anything or anyone. To add a bit of challenge on this one, you can use half a pound of dumbbell for each hand. If you do not have dumbbells, you can use your water bottle and fill it with water for added weight. This exercise is a good cardio exercise as well but it is mainly focused on toning your arms and chest. So, learn the proper way on doing hooks, jabs, and uppercuts and then, you are all set.

Simple Exercise 5 (Wall push-ups)

With this exercise, you should remember that you have to use a sturdy wall so cubicle dividers, tall chairs, and even glass walls are not recommended. Stand two feet away from the wall, lean forward until your palms are up against the wall. This pose will, in effect, have your arms parallel to the ground. And then, bend your elbows so your body is close to the wall. Hold for three seconds and then push back. Do at least 15 reps. You can do this exercise while you are waiting for your photocopies to be finished, or while you are waiting for the water dispenser to heat your water. You can also, of course, do this when you have a few moments to spare.

Simple Exercise 6 (Shoulder shrugs)

You can simply do this by just pulling your shoulders as high as you can and roll them forward. You do forward rolling twenty times and do backward rolling twenty more times. This is very easy and you can do it wherever you are, and whenever you feel like doing so.

Simple Exercise 7 (Little dips)

This exercise can be done by using either your chair or your table. Just make sure they are sturdy and that they can support your weight. So using your chair or table, your hands on the edge and then slowly bend your arms to lower your body for about five to seven inches lower than the surface of the object you are using for support. Raise your body through straightening your arms. Do this for ten repetitions at least three times a day for you to feel its effects to your body.

These are just few of the simple but surely very effective things you can do for you to be able to move your body and exercise when you are in the office. There are a lot more you can do. What you should always keep in mind is what, whenever possible, move! You are waiting for the photocopier to finish the 300 copies you need? Do some wall push-ups or shadow boxing, or you may also jog or jump in place. One of your hands, or both hands are free? Get your dumbbells and do some lifting! There are a lot of ways for you to still be fit and fabulous while you are in the office and you are seated most of the time. You just have to find a way for you to be able do those simple exercises.

It is sometimes very discouraging especially if you are by nature, a sedentary type of person but, you have to always remember that your body needs care. It does not only end in giving your body the proper nutrition it needs. Your body also needs to get some stretching and some action for it to function properly and greatly. When your body functions well, you will look good and feel good overall!

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