By Emily Neely
Desk jobs are a necessary part of our lives, it is a part of our career. However, sitting for long periods of time can have negative impacts on our health. Sitting at a desk all day can cause you to loose energy and lack focus. You can become restless and loose interest in current tasks. Not only can those effects lead to poor job performance, but it can have a negative impact your emotional and physical health. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people exercise at least 150 minutes a week. In fact, research shows humans tend to live longer if they opt for an active lifestyle rather than a sedentary lifestyle. Desk exercise provides you with a break from office tasks, allowing your brain to reset and refresh. Finishing an exercise at your desk can also motivate you to complete more of your office work. While the benefits of office exercise have been discussed, here are some workouts for you to try!
Desk push: Stand and put your hands on your desk. Push as if your pushing the desk to the ground. This engages your entire core.
Hand press: Sit in your chair, push both palms together in front of your chest, and leave your elbows at your side. Hold both palms as you push them together. This strengthens your biceps, chest, and triceps.
Thigh press: Sit in your chair, put your palms against the outside of your knees. Push your knees agains your palms and try to open your legs. This strengthens your lower body.
Chair squats: Stand in front of your chair with your feet shoulder width apart. With your chest up, bend your knees and drive your hips back, as if you were sitting in the chair. Stop just above the chair and slowly rise back up. This activates your legs and glutes.
Should you want to further your office exercises, you can try different types of desks and equipment, such as:
Standing desks: Put away the chair and just stand. The standing desk adjusts to your height to help perfect posture and allow for more movement.
Bike desks: An easy way to incorporate cardio during your office hours. The stationary bikes have a desktop where the handlebars should be. It also works great for conference calls.
Under desk bikes and ellipticals: Rather than purchase a completely different desk, you can just ad an addition to it. They are portable pieces of equipment for you to put under your desk and get a great workout in.