“Healthy isn’t a goal, it’s a way of living.”
Doing exercises at office is a must not just owing to health reasons but also to drive away boredom and lethargy. Too many people are now spending close to ten hours just sitting which is extremely fatal for health. While you can’t do anything about sitting for long in office, what you can definitely do is reduce the health hazards by indulging in some easy exercises as mentioned below:
1) Blink frequently: Your eyes can get extremely strained by staring at computer for long which is why you must take care that you do not spoil your vision. Blink regularly every twenty minutes and do it slowly. If you wear glasses, sit in a straight posture and invest in good quality eye glasses.
2) Simple breathing: Slowly breathe in through your nose and hold it on for two seconds. After that, exhale through your mouth. Do it in a set of ten repetitions. This breathing exercise is extremely helpful in reducing stress, anger as well as anxiety. Always check your breathing pattern next time you feel any of these emotions. You can also try deep breathing exercise later to enjoy the bigger benefits.
3) Shadow box: Move your hands and arms with this fun exercise. Sit in a straight posture in your chair and pack some punches in the air. While it mainly moves your hands and arms, it also moves your entire body a little especially the upper body. It’s a famous exercise among boxing amateurs but you can do it too owing to its easiness.
4) Wooden leg: Another easy exercise. As the name suggests, this exercise is for moving legs. Sit straight in your chair and extend your leg upwards to a straight level. Hold it on for two seconds. Then raise it to a higher level and hold it again for the same duration. Do it for ten times for each leg.
5) Neck stretching: To avoid stiffness and pain in your neck, do a simple neck moving exercise. Touch your ear to your shoulder and hold it for at least 5 seconds. You can also move your head over your shoulder each side and hold it for 5 seconds. This one will also make your head move. Do these exercises at least 7 times in a day.
6) Walk: If you want an extremely non-fussy exercise, just walk. Either walk on a flat surface or climb some stairs up and down. There are many benefits of walking such as it helps in building stamina, strengthening heart, toning every body part, decreasing disease risk levels and keeping your breathing pattern in check. You can also keep a track on your steps with the help of a timer.
7) Calf raise: As the name suggests, calf raise exercise targets calf muscles. It is a famous strengthening exercise as it improves muscle strength and helps jump higher. Hold on to your desk or any table for balance. Raise your heels from the floor as higher you can. Then bring them down slowly. Do this for 5-7 times and shift from one leg to another.
8) Hand stretching: If you rarely move away your hands from a keyboard, you must do hand strengthening exercises. Typing all day long without moving your hands adequately is not good because you may develop joint pain soon. Make a fist and hold on for around 30 seconds until you feel tightness. Release afterwards soon. Repeat this with both hands. For stretching fingers, lay them on a flat service and then straighten them gently. Again hold on for some 30 seconds and release. You can also buy a squeeze ball to improve hand muscles.
9) Shoulders stretching: What you need to do here is take a deep breath and shrug your shoulders. Lift them as high you can till your ears. Hold for 3 seconds and then release. Repeat it for 5 times. It ensures your shoulders do not get rigid from all the work you perform.
10) Hugging exercise: A simple exercise to perform. Hug your body and place the left hand on your right shoulder and the right hand on your left shoulder. Take deep breathes, inhale in and out by releasing the area between your shoulder blades. This is a great exercise for stretching your back.
With these 10 exercises, make time for some stretching and strengthening in your office itself. If you don’t make time for exercise now, be ready to reserve a lot of time later for hospital visits.