6 Simple exercises to do in office

May 23, 2019Diet and Lifestyle

It is surprising how sitting in one static position can be more tiring than any physical activity. Most people with desk jobs end up with painful back, stiffened neck and cramped muscles. With increasing work load and hectic schedule, it gets impossible to take care of your body. However, you can add little bit of activity to your sedentary lifestyle with some simple yet effective office exercises. The following exercises are basic, quick and can be performed easily by anyone:

1. Back extension

Weakened back muscles are pretty common if your job requires you to sit on chair for most of the day. This simple exercise helps in reducing the pressure in lower spine, easing the back pain.

• Stand up and place your hands in the small of your back.
• Slowly bend backwards until you feel a little pressure in your lower back and maintain this position for 5 seconds before coming back to your original position.
• You can repeat this stretch for 3-5 times.

2. Shoulder Rolls

This exercise is pretty effective in relieving shoulder pain.

• Move away from the desk, straighten up your back, take a deep breath and roll your shoulder forwards then backwards in a circular motion.
• After 10 rotations change the direction from clockwise to anticlockwise. Repeat this exercise for 5-10 minutes for better results.

3. Wrist flexion

An easy exercise which is beneficial in relieving the pain and discomfort in wrists caused by extended use of keyboard and mouse.

• Extend your arm in front of your face with palm up.
• Pull your fingers backward with opposite hand until you feel a stretch in your forearm and wrist.
• Hold it for 5 seconds, then release.
• Repeat the exercise with other hand.

4. Neck rotation/stretch:

Bad sitting postures can aggravate neck muscles which may also lead to severe headache. Follow these simple steps to relax neck muscles and release the stiffness.

• Sit with an erect and upright posture.
• Rotate your chin towards your right shoulder.
• Hold it for 10 seconds.
• Bring your head back to the center, and then rotate it to the left.
• Take a deep breath during each stretch.
• Repeat 4-5 times on each side.

5. Elbow Pullover:

This exercise allows you to stretch your arms and loosen up your cramped muscles

• Stand straight in front of your desk.
• Reach behind your head with elbow bent.
• Push downwards on elbow with opposite hand so that your hand moves further down your back.
• Hold the stretch for 10-15 seconds.
• Repeat for another arm.

6. Ankle Roll:

When you are sitting for too long you may end up with swollen feet and ankles. Hence it is important to allow a little movement to your feet, while at work.

• Move away from your desk and extend your right leg.
• Slowly rotate your right ankle in clockwise direction.
• After 3 rotations change the direction to anticlockwise.
• Repeat the same process with left ankle.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information.