Squeezing in a workout during the workweek is a challenge for most people. While the intent is there, finding the time and energy to work out when you have to balance a hectic work schedule and a tight home routine is difficult. Sitting at your desk all day adds to your fatigue, posture woes, and sedentary lifestyle. Your health is important. Therefore, it is imperative to find a way to exercise without worrying about finding the time and energy. There are numerous exercises for office workers where you can do easy stretches and exercises right at your desk. Here are five simple and quick exercises you can start with and later build your own customized exercise routine .

For the full body

Before beginning any workout routine, whether at home, gym, or the office, stretching is crucial. Especially at the office, when you are spending hours poring over your laptop, continuously looking at reports and presentations without a break. It stiffens your neck, back, shoulders, hips, and knees. Stretching warms up your muscles and shakes off any tiredness or rigidity, ensuring you feel recharged throughout the  day. Stand up, interlace your fingers and simply stretch your arms above your head. You should feel the pull from the base of your spine all the way to the steeple of your fingers. If you have space, you can bend backward, taking the stretch further*. Hold this pose for 5 seconds, slowly breathing in and exhaling as you relax. For those who do not have the space to stand, you can sit and stretch while sitting. Once you raise your arms above your head, you can extend your legs straight out in front of you. Repeat this stretch 10 times, each time pushing yourself to stretch more to get your blood pumping.

For the shoulders

Next, you can move to those tense and tight shoulders that carry the burden of your work and life. The strain on your shoulders can radiate to the back, so it is important to loosen up the muscles and alleviate any pain or stiffness. Sitting in your chair, your back straight, hips touching the back of the chair, arms to your side, you slowly raise your shoulders to touch your ears and hold this position for 2 seconds. As you exhale, lower your shoulders and repeat this step another 15 times. Once done, your shoulders and neck should feel relatively lighter. If you want to amp up this exercise, hold a heavy book in each hand, ensuring that the weight of the books is equal.

For the neck

Most people have  bad posture, especially at the work desk. Before you know it, there is a crick in your neck that can lead to several other problems. Neck exercises at the office are the simplest and quickest of all to perform. sit with your back straight and hips touching the back of your chair and your arms at your side. relax and lean your head forward, so you are looking at your lap. Slowly roll your neck towards one side. Hold this for 10 seconds before rolling back, so you are back at the centre. Now, roll your neck towards the other side and hold this for 10 seconds to do. repeat this 3 to 5 times on each side to loosen and relax your neck muscles.

For the chest and back

Sitting slouched for hours can cause a severe strain to the back causing backache. To ensure you avoid this, you need to balance your back and chest. Stretch your arms out at shoulder level, letting your palms face outwards. Keeping your shoulders straight, bring your palms together, emulating the gym’s chest press routine. This opens up your chest muscles while giving your back a workout. These days, many offices have introduced fitness at the workplace by keeping certain equipment at the office, such as an office exercise ball. If your office has one, you can use it to strengthen your core and back muscles while improving your balance.

For the lower body

As you sit, your legs can tend to feel cramped. To improve the blood circulation in your lower body and stretch your legs out, you can do the simplest exercise of all. You can touch your toes. Stand up at your desk, make sure your spine is straight, your knees aren’t bent, and your feet are in line with your shoulders. They shouldn’t be too close together or too far apart. Take a deep breath and raise your arms straight above your head, then slowly lower them to touch your toes. If you are not able to touch your toes, don’t be disheartened. Let your arms reach out to their maximum, with your knees not bending. With constant practice, over time, you will be able to touch your toes. Hold this position for 5 seconds before straightening up slowly. You can repeat this stretch another 5 to 10 times.

These are just a few of the exercises you can do at regular intervals during the day at your desk. If possible, a few times in the day, you should walk around your office or step out and take a walk around your office building. This stretches your legs and gives you a break from the pressures of work. You can alternate different stretches and exercises based on the space and time you have. When you take care of your health, you take care of your loved ones’ future as well. That’s why you should make sure you take out ten minutes every two to three hours to perform these simple stretches at your desk. They will keep you agile, pain-free, and charged to perform well at work*. To ensure your loves ones' well being, you should also consider a term plan.

L&C/Advt/2021/Jun/0745