We may not always realize it, but a large portion of our day is spent sitting down. We are sitting during the commute to work, sit at a desk in front of a computer for 8 – 9 hours, sit during the commute home, and relax while, you guessed it, sitting in front of the TV. All that sitting is harmful to your health and can lead to being overweight. One study even found that sitting can increase your risk for cancer by more than 60%.
Time Magazine recently put together 10 Deskercises that you can do at work to get out of the habit of sitting all day.
The deskercises are:
- Paper pushups – with both hands on your desk, walk your feet back to a 45-degree angle and do a dozen pushups. This will help strengthen your arms.
- Book press – grab the heaviest book you have. Hold it behind your head, then extend your arms upward. Bring it back near your neck and repeat. This exercise targets your triceps.
- Shoulder blade squeezes – pretend to hold a pencil between your shoulder blades. Squeeze them together for 10 seconds, then release and repeat as many times as needed. This exercise is good to do a couple of times a day to improve hunched posture.
- Office yoga – perfect to relieve on-the-clock stress relief, keep a yoga mat under your desk and roll it out when you’re in need of some Zen time. This article has a couple of beginner’s yoga poses if you’re new to the practice. (related product: CanDo® yoga mats)
- Chair squats – stand 6 inches in front of your chair and lower yourself down until your bottom touches the edge, then quickly stand back up.
- Triceps desk dip – facing away from your desk or a stable surface, place hands shoulder-width apart with your legs extended. Bend your arms, then straighten as much as you can to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.
- Wall sits – stand against a blank wall space, then squat to a 90 degree angle for 30 seconds. Slide back up and repeat 2 to 3 times. This move targets and tones your quads.
- Standing calf raises – starting with your feet together, rise up to raise your calves. Hold for 10 seconds, release, and repeat. Hold onto your chair or desk for extra support if you’re having trouble balancing.
- Get a (leg) raise – while sitting, straighten your leg and hold for 10 seconds. Lower it almost to the floor, hold for a few seconds, and repeat on the other side. (related product: The Cuff® weights)
- Phone pacing – ask your supervisor or IT department for a headset for your phone, that way you can pace while talking on the phone. This will help you meet your step goal for the day.
Click here for the full article.