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Working behind a desk is something I have been doing most of my career. Unlike many professionals, I enjoy desk work because it is an area I thrive in most.
Put me in the field, and I might melt like butter if it is summer, or freeze like a snowman if it’s winter.
That said, I understand the importance of physical exercises on my body, health, and even thought processes.
Most mornings I try my best to do some workout routines, and on the weekends, I put in at least one hour at the gym.
However, I still end up sitting down than moving around most days, so those other workout sessions aren’t always sufficient to keep me in shape.
Some nights when I get home, my neck is stiff and my bones are sore.
Some months ago, I decided to improve my work-life quality by integrating exercises in between work.
I discovered several ways to stay active at work, and I’ll be sharing them with you.
Also, you are what you do, eat, and drink. As such, you cannot depend only on these physical exercises to keep you at the top of the game.
You should mind what you eat and drink too.
This article is a combination of desk exercises that I have tried, and new interesting ones I researched and am going to try.
I hope they help you as much as they helped me.
Something as simple as a 5-minutes workout can make a lot of difference to your health because staying behind a desk for long periods poses a huge risk to your health.
When you aren’t moving actively, you can damage your body posture. Prolonged inactiveness can also affect your performance in and out of work.
Unfortunately, this is the reality of most employees. You would observe that your mental performance, meeting deadlines, and time management skills are highly improved on the days you work out.
You will experience a generally low level of stress and feel more motivated to do your tasks too.
Another thing exercising in between work does for you is to allow you to take breaks which in turn puts your mind in a restful state it needs to function even better.
Consider yourself blessed if your organization sponsors 10-minutes quick exercises, or lunchtime yoga. Most employees don’t enjoy that privilege, so the deskercises in this article will be of great benefit to you.
If you are still wondering why you should deskercise at work, these are some other important reasons:
If you usually find it difficult to sleep through the night, it's probably a symptom of the stress you pass through during the day.
Exercising regularly, or staying active at intervals throughout the day will prevent restlessness at night.
When you sleep better, you wake up brighter and perform better at work.
Regular exercise improves not just your mood, but also your mind. How and what you think is a product of your state of mind.
By exercising even at your desk, you are increasing your level of creative thinking and protective actions.
Working every day can leave its mark on your body and mind.
Workouts allow your body to release cortisol which suppresses the effects of stress.
You will become less anxious the more you exercise because your happy hormones such as serotonin and endorphins are enhanced during workouts.
A healthy mind is a productive mind. When your mind is overwhelmed with work tasks, home chores, and family to take care of, you'll most likely not do well in all these areas.
When you can't excel at the most important areas of your life, it can easily bum you out.
Exercising regularly behind your desk can limit your focus on problems. It can open your mind to solutions and how to manage your activities effectively.
Now that you know how vital deskercises are some fun office deskercises for you to try:
Neck muscles relaxation exercise
A neck muscle relaxation exercise you can try is the Rubber Neck and you can do it while sitting.
This can also be a warm-up to your daily deskercises. Sit up with your back ramrod straight in your chair, then bend your head to meet your right shoulder, do the same on your right side.
After that, drop your chin forward as though you want to say a prayer, then roll your head backward and around your neck.
You can also stretch your arms forward on your desk or above your head. If you feel any tight knot, pause and continue on the other side instead.
This exercise is simple, effective, and hardly involves pain.
Fold your palms into each other as you would in a tug-of-war game, then place your folded hands behind your head.
Then move your head from right to left, and repeat. Make sure you can see your upper arms as you're swinging.
Seated Leg deskercise
Another way to become physically active at work is to practice leg exercises. Leg exercises prevent cramping that occurs from prolonged immobility.
Doing the seated leg deskercise relieves you from the guilt of missing leg day workouts.
To do this, sit up straight in your chair, straighten the first leg, making it as parallel to the floor as possible. Then, maintain that position for 10 seconds.
Repeat the same process on your other leg till you feel your leg muscles are strengthened.
After 15 tries or so, place your briefcase or purse on each leg while you stretch. This deskercise strengthens your glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings.
Wrist and fingers flexibility deskercise
If you spend so much time behind your desk, you're most likely using your fingers and wrist most of that time.
Constantly getting the blood flowing into these parts of your body is important.
Try this simple wrist exercise: press one palm into the other, turn them inwards, then outward.
Lift both palms, then stretch and shake out your arms to relieve the pressure from bending for too long.
Breathing exercises
You won't know how powerful motionless exercises such as simply breathing in and out can be unless you try them.
By taking a 5-minute break from work to practice a relaxation technique, you'll be reducing your stress levels.
To do this, find a quiet place if you share office space with others. Close your eyes, then breathe in deeply through your nose, hold your breath for 5-10 seconds.
Slowly release your breath through your mouth. For those few seconds you're transported from your workplace into a serene environment no one can disturb.
If you work in a highly stressful environment, low-intensity exercises might not be enough to centralize your focus and relieve you of tension.
This high-intensity cardio is still of easy variety, so you can do them at work without disturbing your co-workers.
High knees
The high knees exercise is like running in one place because you're lifting both legs simultaneously in one spot.
You can try doing this while sitting, but it's most effective when you do it standing up. Try tapping your hands to both knees as you lift them.
To do desk push ups, you need a heavy unmoving desk. Stand in front of the desk, place your hands on the edge, then move your legs back a bit.
Ensure your body is facing the floor and your hands are spread a bit wider than your shoulder width.
Tighten your stomach, tuck your elbows in, then lean your whole body towards the desk. Immediately push yourself back up.
Breathe in as you go up, and out as you go down. You can follow these same steps for desk planks. The difference is you’re staying in one position for a few seconds.
Yoga is a combination of low and high-intensity exercises. You should find from this list which ones suit you or are most convenient to do at work.
To do the mountain pose, stand straight with your feet hip wide apart. Tighten your quads, then push your thighs together.
Push in your belly, then stretch your arms above your head. Twist your head slightly from one side to the other, so that your ears are touching the sides of your arms each time.
Stretch your arms, letting your palms face each other. Keep your neck elongated and your head stretched upward at the same time.
Then bend backward, breathe in deeply, and out slowly for one to two minutes. Then repeat a few times.
This yoga pose will improve your posture, and it is one of the simple yet effective poses.
The cat and cow pose or Marjaryasana and Bitilasana
This is a fun yoga pose you can include in your deskercises. It improves the spine and reduces back pain and headache.
Get a yoga mat, lower yourself to your hands and knees. Your thighs and palms should be spread hip and shoulder-width apart.
You can start with the cow pose by rounding your spine upwards, then curve it downwards into the cat pose.
When rounding your spine, inhale, then exhale as you curve into the cat pose.
Try each position for 30 secs before switching to the other.
You can round up each yoga session with the Child’s pose as it is a resting pose that stretches your whole body as though putting it back together.
To do The Child’s Pose, sit on your knees, fold your legs beneath your thighs, then raise your arms over your head. Ensure your back is straight, then bend at hips, while keeping your forehead to the ground.
Stretching your arms forward to meet the ground, maintain a sitting position, and push your body forward slightly with your arms. Breathe in and out as you stay in that position for 3-4 minutes.
These exercises require only your chair
Tricep dip
For the tricep dip, all you need is an immobile chair. Position your buttocks on the edge of the seat, with your palms gripping the sides of the chair push your legs forward, spreading them wider than your hip width.
Push your hips forward, Lower your elbows, then bend and raise your lower body slowly.
Breathe in as you move up, breathe out as you lower yourself. Repeat for like 20 times before you try another exercise.
While standing, face your chair, lift your left foot, then tap it to the edge of the right side of your chair.
Lower your left foot, and do the same thing with your right foot, tapping it to the left side of your chair.
Do this like 20 times, making it a total of 40 taps for both legs.
Whether you are a weightlifting junkie outside of work or you just want to increase your upper body strength, try these deskercises.
Get your prefilled two 1L bottles and stand beside your desk, spine straight, and legs apart. Bend at the hips till you’re about 45 degrees to the floor.
Bend your knees a bit, and push your arms outward, then towards the ground.
Pull each arm with the bottle inwards towards your chest. Breathe in as you pull each arm inwards, breathe out as you lower it. Do the process 10-15 times.
You’re following the same process of the bent-over rows. For bicep curls though, your arms should be by your side with the weights pushed outwards.
You’ll then curl one elbow in, pause for a few seconds, then bring the bottle towards your shoulder. All the while, the only parts of your body that should be moving are your arms.
Repeat the process 5 times for each arm.
These deskercises are simple and do not require any specialized equipment. After integrating them into your daily work life, you’ll discover that you have more strength, energ, and focus towards work.
When you get home most days too, you won’t feel as tired or cranky as you used to be before these deskercises.
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