If you’re having trouble beginning an exercise plan or following through, you’re not alone. Many of us struggle to stop being a couch potato.
You already know there are many great reasons to exercise—from improving energy, mood, sleep, and health to reducing anxiety, stress, and depression. Making exercise a habit takes more—you need the right mindset and a smart approach. Many of you get stuck behind a desk for the majority of your time. Don’t worry, here are 11 exercises you can do from your desk –
1. Leg Plank
Strengthen those beautiful legs while sitting at your desk. Trust us, no one will even know you’re getting a workout! Simply sit on the edge of your chair with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Gently extend your right leg out in front of you until it’s straight and parallel with the floor. Hold the pose for 10 seconds, release, and repeat with your other leg. Do the exercise five times on each leg.
Leg Plank
2. Foot Drill
Another exercise to do at your desk is the Foot Drill. Remember how football players tap their feet in place while at practice? You can do the same thing at your desk! While seated, try tapping your feet for 30 seconds at a time – or longer if you can!
Foot Drill
3. Shoulder Raise
These are a great way to relieve tension in your neck. Raise your shoulders toward your ear, hold for 10 seconds, and relax. For an even bigger stretch, do just one shoulder at a time, then alternate five times each.
Shoulder Raise
4. Back Twist
Relieve tension in your back by doing this great back twist. To start, sit in your chair and place your right arm behind your right hip. Twist to the right side and hold for 10 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Aim to do three on each side.
Back Twist
5. Chair Dip
While seated, place your hands on the armrest of your chair and move your bottom to the front of your seat. Slowly straighten your arms and lift your body off the chair, then hold for 10 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat four more times.
Chair Dip
6. Chair Squats
Lift your rear end off of your seat and hold for a few seconds.
Chair Squats
7. Seated Leg Raise
Sit upright in your office chair. Straighten your left leg so that it is parallel to the floor and hold it in place for 10 seconds. Now, do the same thing with your right leg.
Repeat both legs for 15 repetitions. Once you build up strength, try adding weight to the exercise by looping your purse or briefcase on your legs while you do the raises.
Seated Leg Raise
8. Calf Raise
Stand in front of a desk or other piece of furniture you can hold on to for balance. Raise your heels off the floor and slowly lower them.
Calf Raise
9. Tricep Dips
Put your arms behind your back, resting on your chair, and slowly raise and lower your self.
Triceps Dips
10. Flapping Wings
Stretch both of your arms up and back, as far as you can. Bring them forward until they meet and stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat.
Flapping Wings
11. Abdominal Stretches
Sit on the edge of your chair and stretch your arms out. While keeping your back straight, contract your abdominal muscles. Relax and repeat.
Abdominal Stretches
Most of us have a bit of a lag between tasks as we sit in front of our computers, and we can take advantage of a few minutes here and a few minutes there to get some physical activity in. You won’t get an extensive workout this way, but you can get enough exercise that missing a day or two of a more strenuous activity won’t make a difference. You can also avoid some of the ills that come from sitting at a desk for too long: sore wrists, stiffness, even repetitive motion injuries.