Top 5 Exercises You Can Perform At Your Desk

For many of us, we work at least an 8-hour shift every day, and some even go beyond that just to make ends meet. As such, we are tied to our desks and are sitting most of the time while we focus on the task at hand. We know that after all the hard work is done, it all pays off once you see that you can provide for yourself and your loved ones.

While the purpose is noble and all, did you know that sitting at your desk for extended periods of time can do you more harm than good? Sure, you’re not doing any strenuous activities that may cause you pain, but the fact that you are sedentary is the problem. This type of lifestyle has been attributed to many health complications and disease. Keep your body and mind healthy and lower your stress levels to ensure you are at your best.

Dangers of Prolonged Sitting

While it is not ideal to sit idle for long periods, such a sedentary lifestyle can lead to health hazards. Some of the conditions linked to prolonged sitting include:

• Obesity
• Hypertension
• Increased blood sugar
• Excess body fat, especially around the waist
• Abnormal cholesterol levels

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Sitting for a long time can increase the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. These are known illnesses that can eventually lead to death.

Exercising At Your Desk

As always, exercise is the best remedy to any disease linked to being idle. Having physical activity every now and then can toughen you up for the long road ahead and will keep you healthier longer. Many business owners don’t give enough time to keep their own health up to date.

This is why exercising at your desk could be the best thing that you can do. It might be weird at first, but you should get the hang of it once you start. Here are 5 exercises that you can do without ever leaving your workspace.

1. Straight Leg Lifts

• Despite the fact that you sit most of the time, you still need to keep moving and not break a sweat. Of course, the muscles that you need for that are in your legs and buttocks, which makes straight leg lifts ideal for this purpose.
• To do this, stand in front of your chair and your feet should be spread a bit wider than your shoulders. Your knees should not go beyond your toes when you start going to a squat and you need to maintain a straight back. Go down until you are almost sitting, hold the position, and come back up.

2. Chair Lift

• Just because you are in the office doesn’t mean you can’t have a rock hard core. That doesn’t mean, however, that you should go down on the floor and start doing curl-ups either. Instead you can improvise by using your chair and working the same group of muscles to achieve almost similar results.
• What you need to do is sit straight with your back against the backrest. Position your hands at the sides and you are almost ready. This time, bring your knees up to your chest and then back down. You can opt to have them touch the floor or leave them an inch off the floor for added resistance and challenge.

3. Jump-Rope Simulation

• While it is important to build strength, it is also essential to work on your stamina and breathing. This exercises your heart and keeps it pumping oxygen-filled blood to your whole body.
• Like the term implies, you pretend to jump-rope without the actual ropes. You can change it up by using two feet or jumping on one foot. Just make sure to have a wide open space so as not to injure yourself or cause a ruckus.

4. Paper Pushups

• Now that your legs, core, and heart are well, it’s time to shape those arms. Imagine yourself rearranging your home, or carrying that cute little kid in your arms. You will need to build your muscles for that, and after all, well-toned arms are always desirable.
• Doing this is pretty simple. Just step back from your desk a little to create a 45 degree angle and push from your desk. Do a dozen pushups and you should be good.

5. Book Press

• To prevent those saggy arms, doing book presses will help. It has the same concept as carrying dumbbells from the back, working your triceps in the process.
• Instead of dumbbells, look for the heaviest book you can find and lift up. Hold it behind your head, extend up, rinse and repeat.

With a little ingenuity and innovation, you should be able to keep yourself reasonably healthy. While it is essential to keep your body healthy, you should also remember that your health is your greatest wealth and without it, you have very little.