What are Deskercises?

‘Deskercise’ is a recent term developed by those who are unable to manage their time for the workout because of their busy schedule. The definition might be an irony for such people but, as a matter of fact some wish to be healthy as well as wealthy. While you won’t get to the Olympics this way, you can do stretching, muscle-strengthening, and even short stints of aerobic exercises right at your desk (or maybe in a vacant conference room or stairwell).

How deskercises affect us?

Little things add up and give huge benefit. Same theory goes with exercises. The little effort you make everyday helps one a lot in being fit. While you shouldn’t give up on your home or gym exercise routine, you can certainly supplement it with exercises done at your desk.

After all, doctors say any amount of exercise helps — the benefits are cumulative.

30 Best Deskercises at work!

Neck Exercise

To stretch your neck, slowly flex your head forward/backward, side to side and look right and left. This can be done almost anytime to lessen tension and strain. Never roll your head around your neck. This could cause damage to the joints of the neck.

Shoulder Exercise

This exercise helps you relax your shoulders. Roll your shoulders forward around 10 times, then backward. This helps release the tension off your shoulders.

Relaxing Your Arms

Arms need proper rest as most of the work is being managed by them. A good stretch for your arms and shoulders is to brace your hands on the edge your desk, each about a shoulder width away from your body. Twist your hands in so they point toward your body and lean forward, hunching your shoulders. Take this a step further and push your shoulders and elbows closer to the desk.

Wrist Rolling

We did this in our primary school and it is the need of hours in a corporate office. Roll your wrists regularly, around every hour or so. Roll the wrists 10 times clockwise, then 10 times counterclockwise. This will help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if you spend a lot of time typing.

Ankle-ing!

You might feel restless and uncomfortable if you keep them left unmoved for some time. Roll your ankles regularly. As with your wrists, roll the ankles in a clockwise motion 3 times, then counterclockwise. This helps improve blood circulation, and prevents that tingling feeling you can get when blood circulation is cut off, also known as “Pins and Needles”.

Chest Exercise

Keeping yourself leaned in a particular posture causes you fatigue. To counter that, perform the following exercise: open your arms wide as if you are going to hug someone, rotate your wrists externally (thumbs going up and back) and pull your shoulders back. This stretch is moving your body the opposite way to being hunched and you should feel a good stretch across your upper chest.

Tummy Relaxation!

Contract your abdominal and gluteal (hip) muscles, hold them there for a few seconds, then release. Repeat this for every few minutes all day long while you are working at your desk. You can also perform Kegels (pelvic floor exercises) while sitting.

Calves

Not many of us know that calf is in our body. Calf is the back portion of the lower leg. Stretch your calves. While sitting, lift up your legs on the balls of your feet and set them down. Repeat until your legs are comfortably tired. Repeat after about 10 minutes later, and continue doing this routine for about an hour or so. This will exercise your calves, and will help prevent blood clots from developing in your legs. Blood clots are very common among middle-aged computer users.

Small Strolls

Keeping yourself in a single posture prevents proper flow of blood in arms, legs and other parts of the body. Stand up every half hour to walk around a bit. This will ensure continuous blood circulation in your arms and legs, and will keep them from getting too strained. Take walks to the water station to refill your glass. If you can afford to take longer breaks, take a short walk outside your building, and use the stairs instead of the elevator to go down.

Eye Spy in the Office!

Give your eyes a break from focusing on your screen. Every 30 minutes or so, shift your focus from the computer screen and scan around other subjects in the room, such as a window, clock, desk, or door. This helps promote eye movement and lessens chances of eye irritation and headaches. Another technique to relax your eyes would be to rub your hands together, then place your cupped hands over your eyes.

Look For Breaks!

Whenever you get time take some rest. Take advantage of the downtime created by rebooting or large file downloads. Get up and take short walks around your floor. If you can afford to do it and do not have many co-workers around who would be bothered, try something more ambitious such as doing a few push-ups, sit-ups, and/or jumping jacks.

Using the Workplace for Exercise!

Acquire a hand gripper. They are cheap, small and light. When you have to read something either on the screen or on paper, you probably won’t be needed to use your hands very often, so use this opportunity squeeze your gripper. It is an excellent forearm workout.

Breathing Exercise

This exercise is important when you perform lots of mental tasks at a time. Your mind needs proper rest and refresh itself for the complete regime. Take a few deep breaths. To work your abdominal muscles, hold your stomach for a few seconds when breathing in, then release when breathing out. If possible, get some fresh air in your lungs by taking a walk outside, as mentioned in a previous step.

Recharge Yourself

Recharge yourself with enough water time to time. Do not substitute water with any other drink like soft drink or other beverages. Have a bottle of water by your side and make a habit of drinking plenty of water throughout the day. If you do this consistently you will begin to feel more alert. Take trips to your water refilling station to refill your jug or glass, so that you can also walk around and exercise your legs at the same time.

Rest to Your Butts

It is important to give proper rest to your lower part of the body. Butt Kickback– Stand behind your desk chair or a stable support. Kick straight back with your right foot, getting a good squeeze in your butt at the top of the movement. Lower your foot back down and repeat 10 times on each side.

Exercise with chair

Chair Squat– Stand behind a chair and grab onto the sides for support. Squat back as though you are sitting on an invisible bench until your legs make a 90-degree angle. Returning to starting position and repeat 10 times.

Desk Push Up

Making your joints feel free is important. This exercise loosens your joint. Desk-supported push-up- stands at the side of your desk and get into push up position, using the desk ledge as the starting point. Move your torso toward the desk until it reaches mid chest, then push back up to starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Relaxing Your Backbone

Sitting continuously for a long time in a posture aches our backbone. Wall sits- Rest your back against a wall and move your feet away from the wall. The wall should be supporting the weight of your back and your knees should be bent. Hold the position as long as possible.

Play Around

Use your creativity and utilize the things around you. Scope out the office for a ream of paper, or a sealed package of printing paper. While seated, place the stack in between the knees and press legs inward, engaging the inner thighs. Continue squeezing the paper ream in place for 30-60 seconds while sorting through the morning’s flood of emails.

Office Yoga

A little madness is necessary to keep you going for the work. Raise the legs into a cross applesauce position while seated in a chair. With your hands on the armrests, push upwards to raise the body off the seat and remain floating for 10-20 seconds. After granting a few wishes, release back down to the chair, rest for a minute, and repeat.

Carpenter in the Office

Lose the pencil behind the ear. The really suave workers hold it in between their shoulder blades! Show off your traps by rolling back the shoulders until the shoulder blades are pinched together.

Squeeze Your Head

Don’t harm yourself! Put your head in your hands as if exasperated by the workday (you may already be in this position), and press your palms into your forehead as if trying to push the head backward. Resist the motion by engaging the neck muscles.

Hold the breathe

Simply take a deep breath and tighten the abdominal muscles, bringing them in towards the spine as you exhale. Stay squeezed for 5-10 seconds and release.

Merry Go Round Chair

Use swivel chair to your advantage with this oblique abs fix. Sitting upright and with the feet hovering over the floor hold the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb. Next, use the core to swivel the chair from side to side.

Wheels in the Chair

While seated in a chair with wheels, position yourself at arm’s length from a desk or table and grasp its edge with your hands. Next, engage the core, raise the feet slightly off the ground, and pull with your arms until the chair slowly rolls forward and your chest touches the desk’s edge. Then roll back by pushing away, with the feet still raised.

The Perfect Posture

We keep on talking about keeping ourselves in a perfect posture. But do we really know what perfect posture is? Perfect posture is a must for long days at the desk. Practice safe desk ergonomics by adjusting the chair height to make sure the feet, hips, and arms are at 90-degree angles to the floor. Engage the core to keep the back straight throughout the day.

Stapler!

Can you imagine that a stapler can be a source of performing exercise? Seated or standing, take the stapler in one hand with the palm facing upwards. Starting at the thighs, bend the elbow and curl the arm up towards the chest, just like a regular dumbbell bicep curl. Pause momentarily and then lower the stapler back down.

Lean Away!

This might look awkward to your colleagues but we have to do this to keep us fit. Casually lean against the nearest wall, supporting your body with the forearm only. Now lean into the wall until the upper arm almost touches it, and then push back out.

Penguin Style

This is something similar to how penguins do thing. Standing with arms by your sides and palms facing behind, pulse the arms backward for 5 seconds. Release and repeat for 12-15 reps. For best results, make sure to keep the arms long and straight!

Be a Boxer!

To relieve frustration and get an arm fix, try shadow boxing to the perfect boxing playlist. Stand (if you can) and throw out a few jabs, hooks, and uppercuts in rapid succession (just watch out for computers and coworkers!).

What you do to keep yourself on the name of exercise during work? Is it something unique? We would love to hear you!