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? 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