The majority of working adults are confined to a chair for eight hours a day, not to mention both commutes. This is a recipe for an array of health problems like obesity, heart disease, back pain, leg cramps, poor posture, tight muscles, and even cancer. Yikes!
Luckily, a full day in the office doesn’t have to be purely sedentary. In fact, you can get moving without having to step away from your desk.
These 5 simple exercises are subtle enough to spare you dirty looks from your coworkers, but effective enough to build your strength, and get your heart racing. Make “deskercise” a regular part of your workday!
1. Desk Pushups
First things first: clear your desk. For this simple exercise, you will place both hands on your desk, walk your feet back to a 45-degree angle, and do 10 pushups at a slow and steady pace. This deskercise is fantastic for building strength in your arms and back, and it gets the blood flowing. Do these every hour, and you’ll have the toned arms you have always dreamed of before you know it!
2. Chair Squats
You’ll feel the burn with these, but we promise they will have your booty and legs thanking you in no time. For this exercise you’ll want to back your chair up a good distance from the desk, then standing 6 inches in front of the chair, squat down until your backside hits the edge of your chair. Make sure you practice good posture to get the best results.
3. Calf Raises
This exercise is ideal for strengthening your calf muscles using your own body weight. Starting with your feet together, stand behind your chair and rise up on your tippytoes, hold for about 10 seconds, and then release and repeat. It’s a simple exercise that will leave you feeling stretched and revived.
4. Tricep Desk Dips
For this exercise you’ll want to make sure you have a stable desk. Start by facing away from your desk, and then place your hands shoulder-width apart on the desk with your legs extended out. Bend your arms to about a 90-degree angle, straighten, and repeat!
5. Pacing
Want to rack up some steps on your Fitbit? Try pacing back and forth when you’re on the phone. We admit, you might look and feel a tad bit silly at first, but it’s a great way to get some much-needed steps in during the day, and even cardio! Make it easier on yourself and the person on the other line by investing in a quality headset.
Give these “deskercises” a try, then let us know what you think. Know of another? Leave us a comment!
