Easy exercises and stretches to perform for a complete workout at your desk during work

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Whether you are working from an office or from home, sitting at your desk can put a lot of strain on your muscles.

Sitting for long periods of time have lead to many risk factors to health organizations over the years. Not only are you lacking exercise your body needs, you also have increased likelihoods of diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and high-blood pressure.

The Mayo Clinic suggests you should be moving about every thirty minutes when you are in a sedentary job. You don’t have to do much, even walking around your building at a leisurely pace is enough to get your blood flowing and your body moving.

As you work through the day, your body might need to stretch or build more support as you work longer periods in a sitting position.

You can try these easy and subtle stretches or yoga poses to help relieve any stress or tense muscle groups a few times during the day. To have a more muscle building exercise workout, try each of these exercises a few times during your shift.

Each easy exercise workout are great to perform at your desk during work, either at a sitting or standing desk.

For a challenge, you might bring a set of resistance bands to push yourself when your body weight isn’t enough.

You might not see a huge amount of results from these easy desk exercises, but it will help your overall health over time.

Here are a few easy exercises and stretches to try while you continue to work at your desk throughout the workday.

Stretches at your desk

Stretching to relieve tension is a great way to get moving at your desk. It doesn’t take a lot of stress to your joints by doing these exercises.

Each of these rotations should take you about 20-30 seconds. Nothing should take more than a minute.

Neck, Wrists, and Ankles

Neck, wrist, and ankle stretches are fairly inconspicuous when performed at your desk.

The biggest thing to remember about stretching your neck is about rotation. I like to do a North-South-East-West rotation and hold each direction for about 10-20 seconds. Then I might rotate my neck in an around the world turn, moving it from chest to shoulder to back to shoulder and back to the front.

In addition to the above stretches for your wrists and ankles, I’d also suggest tracing the alphabet. Not only does this give you a variety of motions, but it works out various muscles in your legs.

Add resistance bands if you want to push yourself or strengthen your wrists or ankles. Just attach your bands to the soles of your feet and hold the bands in your hands while you do each stretch.

Back

Sitting so much and leaning into your computer puts a lot of strain on your back. I feel like I have to perform these stretches at my desk a few times a day to relieve some of the aches and pains.

Two of my favorites stretch out the obliques and the glutes in addition to your back.

For the first, raise your arms and interlock your fingers, palms facing upwards. Lean into a side, either will do, and hold for a few seconds as you feel your obliques stretch.

The other, you’ll be seated in your chair facing forward. Cross one of your knees over the other and place your opposite hand on the top knee with your other hand on the back of your chair. Rotate your torso and push your hands against their designated spots to stretch your back and your back-upper thighs. Hold and repeat with the opposite side.

Shoulders

Shoulders can become tense when scrunched into a computer screen. If you’re not used to keeping your shoulders back in your normal work routine, you’ll want to loosen and stretch out your shoulder muscles every hour or so.

An easy exercise to do at your desk would be to perform shoulder rolls. Simply bend your elbows at a ninety-degree angle, place and relax your hands on a steady surface, and rotate your shoulders clockwise and then counterclockwise.

Another easy desk stretching exercise would be to place your hands behind you, clasped at the wrists, and bending your neck and hands in the same direction. Hold this pose and then repeat in the other direction. Not only does this stretch work out your shoulders at your desk, but also your upper arms as well.

Arms

While you might not think your arms are cramping much by typing away at your desk, you’d be surprised at just how much of a workout they do get throughout the day.

One of my favorite easy desk stretches is to interlock my fingers, palms facing out, and push upwards and outwards from my body. You can also do this stretch out in front of your body at chest level for another type of stretch. This can become a super simple stretch while you are at your desk during work.

I also prefer easy arm stretches like when I pull my arm across my chest or behind my back. Pushing back against it with my other arm usually gives it the relief I’m looking for.

Legs

Legs can be a bit trickier when you are needing a stretch at your desk, but it’s not impossible to do. If you have access to a standing desk, this might help you more and give you more flexibility than at a sitting station desk.

One of the easiest stretches for your legs, would be to bend at the waist and trying to touch your toes. You can do this with your legs together or apart and in the middle or to either leg. I’d hold this stretch at your desk for about 20 seconds before rolling back up to a standing position.

I also like to stretch out my calf muscles routinely, more so it also helps roll out your feet and ankle muscles a bit as well. You can either press your foot perpendicular against a wall or stretch at your desk by leaning forward in your chair and pulling your toes towards your legs.

Exercises at your work desk

Get your blood pumping with these easy desk workouts! They don’t have to be very demanding or long for you to reach your goals but they should challenge you a bit.

Try repeating each exercise 8-10 times and each set 2-3 times for optimal results.

Squats

Squats are a fairly foundational workout exercise you can perform while at your desk. They require only your body weight and are simple to perform. You can add a resistance band around your knees for an added challenge if you are able.

All you have to do to perform a squat is to stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend at your knees. You’ll want to make sure your knees are not over your toes and to keep your back relatively straight when you bend.

The purpose of squats is to focus on your balance and support your thigh muscles specifically.

Leg Lifts

Leg lifts are an easy exercise to perform while working at your desk while being inconspicuous as well.

To perform a leg lift, keep your legs straight and together with your toes pointed out. With your feet on the floor, you’ll raise your legs, still straight, parallel to the level of your chair. Lower them down in the same fashion and repeat for about 10 times.

To make this more challenging, hold an object or dumbell between your ankles or add ankle weights to add more resistance.

Knee-to-Elbows

Knee-to-Elbows are essentially a seated bicycle crunch. If you have trouble doing this exercise normally on your back, this is a great alternative to put less stress on your back.

Start by placing your hands behind your head, fingers interlocked and palms facing your neck. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and remain seated for this exercise. Lift one of your legs and touch the opposite elbow to your knee. Return upright and place your foot back on the floor.

You can alternate knees-to-elbows or you can do one side before doing the other. Just make sure you keep count!

Oblique Twists

Similar to one of the back stretches, oblique twists are fairly simple and help build your core strength.

As you stay seated at your desk as you do this exercise, you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of room to rotate around in your chair. Place your hands behind your head with your feet on the floor. Rotate your core to one side without pushing on your neck or head, you should feel the motion through your torso rather than from any pressure against your neck.

Strengthening your core is essential to helping you have a more relaxing day while you work at your desk.

Standing or Elevated Push-ups

Doing a normal push-up or even lowered to my knees can put a lot of strain on someone when they are just starting out with their workout routine.

This exercise is great for if you have access to a standing desk, but can also be used with a normal desk as well. We still want to incorporate some arm workouts at your desk, and while they aren’t as subtle, push-ups are easy exercises to perform at your desk at work.

Simply place your hands and feet shoulder-width apart with your hands against your desk or a wall nearby. For the challenge, go for the lowest hand placement you are comfortable with. Lower your body by bending your arms at the elbows. Make sure you aren’t lowering your shoulders and putting unnecessary strain on your back and shoulders.

Tricep Dips

Another one of the less subtle exercises at your desk, but it does help even out your arm strength and you do have a few options on how to complete the exercise, depending on your ability level.

What I consider the normalized way of performing this exercise is by facing away from but in front of your chair, placing your hands behind you and bending your elbows ate a ninety-degree angle with you bent at the knees. You should resemble and squat position with your hands bent and behind you on the chair.

Lower and lift your body by pushing against the chair with your arms. Remember, don’t slump or strain your shoulders while performing this exercise at your desk. This should be primarily felt in your upper-arms.

If your body weight is too much, try using a dumbell. Place and interlock your hands behind your head with your elbows pointed upwards. Extend your hands towards the ceiling with the dumbell securely in your grasp. This way you are still utilizing the triceps but there isn’t as much pressure compared to your body weight.

Yoga poses while at work

Perform each of these stretches for about 20 seconds before continuing on to the next. Instead of focusing on each pose, try focusing on keeping your breath steady and calculated while you’re in each yoga pose.

Cat Stretch

Cat lovers will purr at this easy stretching exercise at work.

Arch your back slightly while seated at your desk. All you’ll need to do in this pose will be to lean your head toward your chest and back towards the ceiling. Focus on your breathing and stretching from your upper back and neck muscles.

Lower Back Stretch

Sitting in my office chair is comfortable but my lower back especially hurts after an hour or two of focusing on my work from the same position for too long.

You can stay seated for this stretch but it will not be as subtle as some of the others. Simply move your feet a bit more in front of you than a normal seated position and lean forward to reach your ankles. You should bend your knees and elbows as you need and focus on feeling a pull in your lower back.

Crescent Pose

Similar to an oblique stretch, you’ll be imitating a crescent moon shape once you’ve completed this yoga pose.

Raise your hands above your head and grasp the other by the wrist. Lean over slightly while remaining seated. You’ll likely feel a pull in your oblique abdominals. Return upright and repeat on the other side.

This yoga pose is very simple and easy to perform while at your desk during work at any time.

Chair Twist

If your back routinely hurts during work at your desk, you might have tried this stretch a time or two.

To do a chair twist, place both of your feet on one side of your chair. Place both your hands on either side of the back of the chair and twist your torso towards the back of the chair. Don’t strain your shoulders when you turn, stay focused on turning from your torso instead.

Forward Bend

You’ll need to stand for this one but this easy yoga pose is great to employ different muscle groups without much of a strain on your body.

To do this pose, stand behind your chair with your feet shoulder-width apart. You’ll want to be about two arms length away from the chair. Next, bend forward at your hips until you’re parallel to the floor but make sure your back is straight and not arching back or forwards.

Each of these easy exercises should keep you moving and rejuvenated throughout your work day while sitting at your desk. These exercises aren’t meant to replace your daily workouts but they should help you lower your risk to various conditions sedentary workers have a higher risk of developing.

Want to add a challenge to your workouts at your desk during work? Add a resistance band to push your abilities! If you are new to working out or workouts at your desk, ease your way towards adding them to your regimen at your own pace.

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