Fitting exercise in wherever you can is the best way to keep fit. The working day often sees us confined to small spaces that inhibit our movement and while our fingers might be feeling the burn as we type or maybe we strain ourselves over-zealously illustrating a graph in a PowerPoint presentation, the rest of our body can go underappreciated.
Leg Planks
This is like a regular plank except in this one you have to remain sat down. So start with a straight back and your legs hanging down in front of you. Then slowly raise both legs, whilst keeping your back straight and hold that position for about ten seconds. It’s good to repeat this around five times to feel the maximum benefit.
Foot Drill
The exercises here are unlikely to be the most strenuous on your body as a really taxing exercises that leave you drenched in sweat aren’t great for an office environment and being maxed out isn’t good for the afternoon’s tasks. In that spirit, try tapping your feat against the floor for 30 seconds, although these exercises can be done as long as you’d prefer because of their low body tax.
Shoulder Raise
Another one that isn’t at all that tough and is therefore accessible for all people. The shoulder raise is a great way to relieve stress in what is one of the core areas for muscle tension when hunched over a desk all day. The process itself is rather self-explanatory as you simply raise your shoulders towards your ear and hold the position for ten seconds then slowly relax them again. Back muscles should be properly stimulated.
Chair Dip
(Be careful if you’re on a swivel chair or avoid altogether if you can’t lock wheels/seat!) This is a classic and one that actually utilises that thing you sit on all day. You can place your hands on the seat of the chair or its armrests depending on what sort of shape your office chair is. Then you raise yourself off of the chair and spread the weight out to your core and arms thus giving you the strength to dip down towards the floor and when your arms can’t go any further, hold for 10 seconds then simply raise back up. This is a good exercise for giving all of the muscles in your body a workout.
Back Twist
The back twist is another one that requires you to stay sat on your chair. Start by lifting your weight off the back of the chair and sitting up straight with no reinforcements. Once you are up nice and straight twist your body to the left whilst keeping your pelvis stationary. Once you have gone as far as you can, stop and do the same thing to the right. Hold the point at the extent of your twist for 10 seconds.
[…] Fitting in exercise wherever you can is the best way to keep healthy. There are plenty of exercises you can do to keep in shape such as crunches, press-ups, sit-ups and planks that don’t require any equipment and can be done using whatever space you find around you. A lunch hour is your perfect time to spend exercising, especially if you don’t want to lug yourself all the way to the gym after work. Exercise is also proven to release endorphins and so when you exercise you feel good and remain productive in the afternoon, keeping your body and your boss very happy. […]