If you spend most of your day sitting at a desk, you’re probably also thinking about ways to stay active. But let’s be real: It’s not always easy to find time for the gym, especially when you work long hours. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to sneak in some exercise at work. We’ve rounded up some simple desk exercises that will help keep your body feeling good—and maybe even help you get through those last few hours before quitting time!
The Pectoral Stretch
- How to do it: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and bend at the waist, reaching toward the floor with both hands. If this is too difficult, try bending one leg and placing that foot on its toe as you stretch with your other leg extended behind you for support.
- What muscles it works: The pectorals are located in the chest area and are involved in shoulder mobility and flexion/adduction of the arms (think arm raises). This exercise targets these muscles by stretching them out so they can perform their functions more efficiently.
- Why it’s important to do this exercise: Stretching helps improve posture by lengthening tight muscles while strengthening weak ones–and both of these things contribute greatly toward relieving back pain!
Chair Tricep Dips
This is a great exercise for your triceps and upper body.
- Sit on the edge of your chair with both feet on the ground, knees bent at 90 degrees.
- Place your hands on the sides of your thighs, palms facing inward towards you. Make sure that they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider than shoulder width apart (as shown in photo). You can also use dumbbells if it feels more comfortable for you!
- Slowly lower yourself down until both arms are parallel with floor (without allowing them to touch), then push back up again slowly until arms are straightened out completely before repeating once again for 10-15 repetitions per set – 3 sets total would be ideal but do whatever feels right for you!
Book Press
To do the book press, place a heavy book on top of your thighs. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then release and repeat 10 times. Rest 1 minute between sets and 3 minutes between exercises if doing multiple sets of this one!
Seated Hip Stretch
Sit on the edge of a chair, with both feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Cross one leg over the other so that your ankles are touching. Lean forward from where you’re sitting, keeping your back straight (you should feel this stretch in your inner thighs). Hold for 30 seconds or longer if possible.
Core Strengthener
The core strengthener exercise is a great way to get your body moving and keep your muscles strong. It’s also a good way to prevent back pain, so it’s a win-win! To do this exercise, sit up straight in your chair with both feet firmly on the floor. Lift one leg off of the ground and hold for 30 seconds before putting it back down again (don’t worry about keeping time or counting). Repeat five times with each leg before switching sides. You can do this exercise as often as you’d like; just be sure not to overdo it–30 seconds with each leg is plenty! If you want more variety in your life, try incorporating other desk exercises into what you’re already doing at work such as stretching or walking around every hour or two (or even better: stand-up desks!).
Don’t Forget Your Wrists
Wrists are another area that often goes neglected. They’re not as obvious as the neck, but they can be just as sore after a long day of typing and mousing. To stretch your wrists, hold your hands up with palms facing each other and slowly move them outwards until you feel a slight stretch in your forearms (the part above your elbow). Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds before slowly bringing them back together again–don’t force it! If you don’t feel any sort of stretch at all when doing this exercise, there might be something wrong with how you’re positioning yourself or doing it incorrectly; if so, see an occupational therapist who can help diagnose what exactly is going on here. Stretching should only take up about two minutes per day max–any longer than that and it becomes counterproductive because stretching fatigues muscles rather than relaxing them–but don’t worry if yours ends up being shorter than that: Any amount of time spent actively focusing on keeping yourself healthy will help keep everything running smoothly throughout each day.
The Latissimus Dorsi Stretch
The latissimus dorsi stretch is a great way to loosen up your back. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and place one hand on top of the other at chest level. Stretch both arms out in front of you as far as they’ll go, then lean forward until you feel a stretch in the middle of your back. Hold this position for 30 seconds before switching sides and repeating on both sides three times each day (ideally once in the morning when you first get into work). If that feels too difficult at first — or if it’s just not possible due to lack of space — try doing some simple stretches while seated at your desk instead: First make sure there’s nothing behind or below where you’re sitting; otherwise those items could get knocked over by an overeager coworker! Then sit up straight with good posture (not slumped over), keeping both feet flat on the floor under their respective legs’ knees (if possible). Reach out towards either side until each arm rests comfortably against its respective leg without straining any muscles; hold this position for five seconds before releasing back into normal sitting posture again
Stretch Your Back With A ‘Big Hug’
The exercise is called the “Big Hug,” and it’s one of the most popular desk exercises. The reason for its popularity? It helps stretch both your back muscles and spine, which can help relieve back pain. The Big Hug also improves posture by strengthening your core muscles and lengthening your upper body. This makes you look taller and more confident–and if you have a job interview coming up, this is exactly what you need! This move can be performed sitting or standing (though we recommend standing if possible). All you need to do is stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then cross one arm across your chest while reaching behind and placing it on top of the opposite shoulder blade (or as far down as possible). Next bring both arms around each other until they meet in front at chest level; hold for five seconds before returning them to start position again so that there are four points: two hands at shoulder height with elbows pointing forward; two shoulders stacked above each other with neck relaxed; one torso facing forward while keeping hips squared off into space rather than turned toward either side too much or not enough.”
Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell Curls are a great way to build muscle and strength in your biceps. Start with a light weight, then curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders, feeling this exercise in the back of your arms. Repeat 10 times.
We hope that these exercises have inspired you to add some more movement into your workday. Whether it’s a few minutes at your desk or a full-blown workout in the break room, there are many ways to get moving. The most important thing is that you do something that feels good and makes sense for your body type!
