Sitting hunched over your laptop all day long? Feeling tired, sleepy and unproductive? Stuck in a long meeting? These simple 2 minutes desk exercises are all you need. These are simple office chair exercises that allow your body to relax and stretch. Stretching increases the blood flow to your muscles and makes you feel refreshed. These simple desk exercises will give your back, shoulder, and chest that much-needed relief. They will also help your muscles to relax.
Just remember:
These exercises might look simple. Almost too simple to be effective. However, these office chair exercises help the body to move and relax.
Sitting in one position for long hours can truly harm the body. Yes, you heard it right. Sitting is the new smoking. The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that physical inactivity is the fourth highest killer in the world, putting it even ahead of obesity.
It’s best to keep moving every 30 minutes or do a quick stretch at your desk. Don’t worry about what your colleagues will say. They might just join in.
1. Desk exercise
- Begin by sitting upright in your chair
- Sit on the tip of your chair, hands rested on the back of the seat. The shoulders are relaxed and look up.
- Return to center
- Grab your desk, bend forward to stretch your spine
- Return to center
- Bend your neck to the right
- Return to center
- Bend your neck to the left
- Return to center
- Lift your right arm up and bend left
- Return to center
- Lift your left arm up and bend right
- Return to center
- Place your palms on the armrest and lift your entire body outwards
- Come back to center
2. Desk exercise
- Begin by sitting in your chair
- Raise your arms, interlace your fingers and bend right
- Now bend left
- Return to center
- Hold on to your seat and lift your legs ~into~ your chest
- Return to center
- Hold your seat, cross your right leg over the left and lift them both
- Return to center
- Now cross your left leg over the right and lift them both
- Return to center
- Hold your seat and straighten your knees
- Bend forward and grab your feet with your palms
- Return to center and relax
3. Desk exercise
- Start by standing straight, next to your chair
- Hold the back of your chair and lift your right leg up and backward
- Return to center
- Hold the back of your chair and lift your left leg up and backward
- Return to center
- Hold the back of your chair and lift your right leg to the side
- Return to center
- Hold the back of your chair and lift your left leg to the side
- Return to center
- Hold the back of your chair with both hands and bend forward
- Return to center and face your chair
- Place your right foot on your chair and lunge
- Return to center
- Place your left foot on your chair and lunge
- Return to center
- Grab the seat of your chair and hold a modified plank
- Return to center and relax
4. Desk exercise
- Interlace your fingers and stretch your arms forward
- Lift your right elbow up and pull it with your left hand
- Lift your left elbow up and pull it with your right hand
- Interlace your finger, lift your hands and pull them right
- Bring your hands over to the left and pull
- Straighten your right hand and pull it into your body with your left hand
- Straighten your left hand and pull it into your body with your right hand
- Relax
Enjoy these stretches and the relaxation that comes with it. This is just the beginning. The practice of yoga will bring with it many benefits. You can explore the world of yoga with the Sri Sri School of Yoga. More details here.
