Office Chair Exercise
Yes, there is such a thing as exercise for the
office! And, with office chair exercise you can stretch out and boost your
energy, without losing productive work time.
The
primary reasons office
workers begin to lose
mobility and experience back
and shoulder pain, sore hips
and stiff neck pain,
are poor sitting posture
and lack of intermittent exercise. This shouldn't be the case.
Sitting
posture is easy to correct and even
though you are probably
busy there are quick, easy exercises that can be done within
seconds.
In
addition to the exercises listed below try adding yoga
or Pilates
stretches, or a self neck
massage. And, if you sit most of the day, improve
the blood flow to your hip joints with a few hip exercises
that can be
done right at your desk.
Have you heard about
laughter
therapy? Believe it or not, it is considered a form
of exercise and can be a great way to relieve office stress.
Wrists
- Extend your arm in front of you placing your
palms up.
- With your other hand, grab your fingers.
- Gently stretch your hand down, bending your
wrist
backwards. Feel the stretch in your forearm?
- Repeat with the other arm.
Wrists
and
Forearms
- Press hands together in front of chest. Keep
elbows bent and parallel to the floor.
- Gently bend wrists to the right and left.
- Repeat several times.
Back
- Sit straight in your chair and place right arm
behind your
right hip.
- Twist to the right. Hold for a few
seconds.
- Repeat on the left side.
Calves
- While sitting, lift up your legs onto the balls
of your
feet and then release.
- Continue until your legs and calves are tired.
- Repeat every 10-15 minutes for an hour.
Leg
- Holding abdominal muscles in,
extend leg until it
is level with hip.
- Hold for a few seconds and then repeat with
other leg.
Hips
- While seated, lift one leg off the floor a few
inches with
knee bent.
- Hold for a few seconds and then repeat with the
other leg.
Arms,
Shoulders, Back
This is my absolute favorite office
chair exercise and stress relief activity.
One that you can only appreciate after trying.
- Find a small hand size ball, or even improvise
with a rolled up piece of paper.
- Throw it up in the air and try catching it.
It's amazing
how well your arms, shoulders and back loosen up after doing this only
a few times. The missed catch is the best, because it stretches your
whole back when you bend to pick it up!
However, there are other ways to get exercise in
the office.
Look for reasons to stand more often. Take your
calls on your feet and stretch while talking. Better yet, if it is
someone
in the office you need to converse with, take a walk to see them.
Besides, face-to-face meetings are a better way to communicate.
Office Exercises Don't End at Your Desk
You've
probably heard over and over to walk
whenever possible and take the stairs. Are you doing it? Each bit of
effort helps and after awhile can become habit forming. Imagine that!
A
well inflated exercise
ball, you may have heard it called a fitness ball or swiss
ball,
can do wonders to improve your balance and tone your
muscles. The exercise ball can also be used for wall squats or other
exercise in the office. Your colleagues and your boss may not
be ready for
this yet, but how about an exercise
ball office chair?
Then, there is the ultimate office exercise
equipment, the treadmill desk! What a great calorie
burner, no gym time
required. And yes, treadmill desks complete with room for your keyboard
and monitor, are available for purchase.
Beyond the Office
Did you
know that being sedentary all day can put you at an increased risk for
deep vein
thrombosis, DVT? Office chair exercise
is great for
fatigue relief during the day, but make the benefits greater
by walking
for exercise
after you get home, or at the gym on your way there.
Before you call it a night, what better way to
end the day than with the
luxurious, pampered feel of a home
spa treatment!
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