Whether you are in an office setting or working remotely, you likely spend more hours sitting than you would like. That’s why knowing exercises and stretches you can do at your desk is key to keeping your body healthy.
Working movement back into your workday is not as hard as it might seem at the outset. The licensed physical therapy team at Core 3 Physical Therapy has gathered 5 exercises and stretches you can do at your desk to increase your activity throughout your workday. Feel free to start slow and incorporate additional variations as you increase your stamina.
Circle It Out
We will start you off with an easy one first! While sitting and listening to that zoom call (as long as you aren’t on camera) you can work your shoulders.
Loosen your shoulders periodically by rotating them clockwise and then counterclockwise. This is one of the best desk stretching exercises, as it will relieve stress and help prevent stiffness in those joints.
Doing neck rolls slowly will also relieve strain on those important muscles. Same as your shoulders, slowly drop and roll your neck several times in each direction.
Step It Up
On your lunch hour, use the stairs for a mini workout. Climbing stairs is great for building up your legs and core. Additionally, you can add a resistance band to a doorknob and vary leg, arm, and back movement.
While working you can walk about during calls to increase your daily movement. You may not be able to do that during every call, but aiming for walking once or twice each hour will have your steps adding up in no time.
Strike a Pose
Take time throughout the day to check your posture. As we concentrate, we tend to naturally bend toward the monitor, adding more stress on our neck and shoulders.
At least one time each hour, consciously realign your neck and spine, straightening and releasing the muscles into their natural alignment. Ensure your ankles are in front of your knees, your spine is straightened, and the top of your monitor is at eye level. Add a monitor stand if necessary.
Let’s Do the Twist
It’s recommended to stand and move around every hour. Up the benefits during your five-minute stretch by doing trunk twists! Standing helps relieve the stress of extended sitting on your lower spine.
Twisting your trunk from side to side helps pump blood back into those areas and allows those muscles to destress as well.
Take a Stand
Standing desks are a great asset for your health. Changing from a sitting to standing position throughout the day will increase your muscle usage and help you stay focused on the work in front of you. Working while standing increases your energy and is shown to decrease anxiety.
No stand-up desk? The top of a filing cabinet, countertop, or other higher piece of furniture can assist.
Initially, it may be a little overwhelming to incorporate all these exercises and stretches you can do at your desk. But with time and practice you will definitely feel your muscles responding to the movement.
Our friendly licensed physical therapists at Core 3 know that once you get started those muscles will reward you with better range of movement. If you do encounter any type of pain or ongoing issues, we are here for you to work on getting your body back in alignment and create a a therapy plan for you. Please call or contact us today!
