10 deskercises for the office worker

10 deskercises for the office worker 10 Deskercises For Office WorkersPosted January 22, 2014, by Andrea Riddell Studies have shown that the sedentary lifestyle can and will kill you. But most of the time youre not deskbound by choice. Finding a job that allows for more activity and less sitting throughout the day can be about as easy as trading in your white-collar career for life as an organic bean sprout farmer. For those of us who leise enjoy taking part in the rat race, however, it seems that every health expert and his dog is urging us to find every opportunity to stand up and move around. So weve road tested a series of deskercise exercises, from the tricky to the just plain wacky, to help you get moving while you get the job done. Deskercise Carpal Tunnel Reliever Difficulty easy Discreet yes Instructions Stand at your desk arms straight. Place your palms on the desk with your fingers pointed towards you. Lower your body slowly until you can feel the stretch. Hold for 15 sec onds. Verdict An easy exercise that wont break a sweat And your colleagues will think youre just standing up. My carpal tunnels felt much better Deskersice The Football Drill Difficulty easy Discreet definitely not Instructions Sit at your desk and pump both arms over your head for 30 seconds. Then tap your feet on the floor at a quick pace for 30 seconds. Repeat 5 times. Verdict While its a great way to get the blood pumping and snap out of that 330-itis, its not the most covert of deskercises. This is one thats probably best performed amongst friendly, laid-back colleagues lest you want strange looks and weird questions or get them to join in and feel less like a fool Deskercise Invisible Chair Sit Difficulty medium Discreet not really Instructions Stand in front of your chair with your feet in line with your hips. abflug to lower your butt until its just above your chair and hold. Then sit down as slowly as possible. Repeat 20 times. Verdict This one is a killer for your glut es and hammies but doesnt require too much exertion. Its discrete enough in that you wont be making any noise, but your head bobbing up and down above your computer might be a distraction to your colleagues. Deskercise The Wall Lean Difficulty medium Discreet somewhat Instructions Stand with your back against the wall. Bend your knees and slide your back down the wall, walking out your feet until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for 30 seconds. Verdict Feel the burn If youre just doing some reading, why not do it on the wall Just watch out for wet paint or unsteady gyprock and you should be fine. Deskercise The Seated Crunch Difficulty depends on your abs Discreet to a degree Instructions Sit on the edge of your chair and lean back until your back touches the back of the chair. Support yourself with the armrests and bring your knees up, making aya that your shins are parallel to the floor. Then bring your knees and chest closer together. Repeat 10 times. Verdict This i s a tricky one for anyone struggling with their core area. Needless to say, working on your abs while youre working in the office feels like the best kind of multi-tasking Not suited for an open plan office or skirts. Deskercise The Chair Swivel Difficulty easy Discreet yes Instructions Sit upright with your feet slightly off the floor. Hold onto the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb and use your core to swivel the chair from side to side. Repeat 15 times. Verdict A deskercise thats fun and a workout Your co-workers might think youre just being silly, while secretly youre working on your obliques. Deskercise The Lift Off Difficulty tricky Discreet somewhat Instructions Make sure your chair is sturdy enough to support your weight. Place both hands on your armrests and slowly lift your bottom off the chair. Lower yourself, stopping just short of the seat and hold. Repeat 15 times. Verdict If youre suffering from a case of tuckshop arms, this deskercise could be a swe at-buster. You can, however, use it to peer out over your computer and see what your co-workers are up to. Deskercise The Chair Wheelie Difficulty easy to medium Discreet yes Instructions Hold on to the edge of your desk. Slowly push your chair back until your head is between your arms. Then slowly pull yourself back in. Repeat 15 times. Verdict This is a great way to stretch out the back and work the biceps at the same time. It also gives your eyes a little break from staring at the monitor. Deskercise The Desk Push-Up Difficulty medium to hard Discreet no Instructions Make sure your desk can support your weight. Put your hands on your desk and walk out your feet until youre in a push-up position. Proceed to do a push-up. Repeat 15 times. Verdict Great for mental blocks or brainstorming sessions, this deskercise gives you a chance to shake out your legs and work on your upper body. It does require a wide berth around your desk and some understanding colleagues. Deskercise The One-legged Printer Squat Difficulty extreme Discreet no Instructions Stand with your legs hip-width apart. Hold onto a table, wall or printer for support and lift one leg up. Squat down, keeping your other leg off the ground. Slowly bring yourself back up to a standing position. Repeat with the other leg. Verdict This is a tough exercise regardless of whether youre in the office or the gym. Having your leg sticking out might attract some attention and if you fall over mid-squat, then it becomes even less of a cloak-and-dagger exercise. Great for passing the time while you wait for your photocopying. Worried that your sedentary job will have an impact on your waistline? Here are 10 tips to avoid getting fat at work ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searcheshow to become a soci al worker in australiahow to become a mental health worker in australiahow to become an accredited child care worker in australiahow to become a disability support worker in australiahow to become a youth worker in australia CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineAndrea RiddellRelated ArticlesBrowse moreCoworkersWork etiquetteOffice Romance - Is It Love Actually Or Fatal Attraction?Like any Hollywood love story, an office romance has its dramatic highs and lows. Just make sure it doesnt get out of control.Glenn Taylor - General Manager, Major Operator and Driver Training ServicesWe skill people for the future by training them to move the world, move the earth and move equipment from point A to point B.Career progressionHow to get noticed at workThe adage out of sight, out of mind certainly holds true in the workplace. Climbing the career ladder can be a downright unfair pursuit.

6 People Who Will Do Amazing Things for Your Career

6 People Who Will Do Amazing Things for Your Career6 People Who Will Do Amazing Things for Your CareerWe all know how important networking is for our careers. Building and maintaining strong relationships is critical to your professional success, whether youre measuring salary growth, promotions, or job satisfaction over time. But before you rattle off how many friends you have on your favorite social media site du jour, know that not all contact lists are alike. You want to assemble a diverse group of talent, dubbed social capital by the researchers who study this sort of thing, in order for your network of friends to really have an impact on your success. As with friendships, its the quality not the quantity that counts. So, whos essential to your contact list? Here are the six most important kinds of people you need to know.1. The Finance GuruBefriend those who are wiser financially than you. Its well established that what our friends say and do affects what we say and do- and eve n what we think, says Lynda Wallace certified positive psychology coach and author of A Short Course in Happiness. Having a financially savvy friend can have a positive impact on our own finances. If our friends tend to throw their money away, it makes it a little more tempting for us to do the same. But a friend who is clear about her financial goals and consistently pursues them can inspire us pay more attention to our own financial well-being. 2. The ConnectorThink you can leave behind The Person Who Knows Everyone now that youre all grown-up? Think again. I would say that we dont need a connector, but many, says Sharon Good, life coach and owner of Good Life Coaching. Its best to know a few people who thrive on socializing and making introductions in your network.These days, its all about relationships. Think about LinkedIn For each connection you have, you also connect to their connections, and their connections connections, making it much easier than doing it one at a time, sh e explains. Plus, when you need information or are looking for a new job, Connectors keep those tangential connections warm so you dont have to start out cold when you want to reach out to someone a connector knows.3. The MentorTake time to have coffee or an schmelzglas exchange now and then with a mentor, the person who you can say has inspired your career direction from the beginning, says Christine Hassler, life coach and counselor and author of The 20 Something Manifesto. Its important to choose a mentor who is living a life you respect and want to model- not just someone who has a job or career path you would want, she advises. A good mentor will offer a balance between being a cheerleader and a coach enthusiastically acknowledging us for our accomplishments while also calling us forward and not allowing us to settle. Sounds like a tall order for just one person? Hassler recommends not stopping at one guru in your contact list. Having several mentors is ideal4. The InnovatorMay be this person is that entrepreneur in your contact list or the anthroponym that keeps you up-to-date in your industry. Bottom line You want to maintain that relationship with the person who is always on the cutting-edge of your industrys innovations. An innovator in your circle of friends will remind you to not grow stagnant- just watching them tackle new challenges can inspire you to try new things yourself, says Julie Melillo, certified business and life coach. Entrepreneurs are also great at solving problems creatively, which can be a great help to you.5. The LeaderFor those tough career questions, look no further than your former bosses or other leaders in your industry who youve met and exchanged business cards with at professional events. Mind you, theyre not the same as the warm, fuzzy mentors in your address book who you may have a fuller, more personal relationship with. Leaders are the folks who you look up to purely from a professional point of view. Success breeds succe ss. Being around successful people rubs off. All goals are reached in the mind first. So when we see someone we admire obtain success, we believe we can obtain it, too, says certified career coach Deborah Brown-Volkman, owner of Surpass Your Dreams and author of Coach Yourself to a New Career. Save these contacts for those rare, more serious work issues, but keep them in your contact list just the same.6. Even the FrenemyYes, you read that right. Dont snub the colleague who shares a similar work trajectory with you just because you sometimes feel like youre in competition. This is a good dynamic, according to Brown-Volkman. Frenemies are good because they push us to be our best. Competition forces us to rise to the occasion and go after what we want in our career, she says. When we look at others, and what they have, it motivates us to go after what we want. It also gives us confidence that we can reach our career goals because people we know have already done it, adds Brown-Volkman . Its the 21st-century spin on a time-honored adage Keep your friends close and your (fre)enemies closer. More From DailyWorthCould You Be in the Wrong Career?Whats More Important Than Your Job? Your NetworkDont Let Your Co-Workers Bring You DownPhoto of connections courtesy of Shutterstock.