Sitting at your desk for extended periods of time might lead to major difficulties. This lack of activity has consequences beyond your health. It has the potential to have a direct impact on your work performance and engagement.

According to a study, exercising throughout the workday can improve your time management skills and daily finished workload by 72%.

Today we will walk you through basic workouts that you can do right at your desk without taking up too much space.

1. Wrist Stretches

Wrist stretches are arm movement exercises that stretch and tighten the muscles around your wrist, fingers, and forearms. Stretching your wrists and surrounding area increases blood flow and can help you improve your short-term range of motion and flexibility. Many individuals stretch their wrists, hands, and forearms before a workout, yoga session, or sports event to prepare them for hard use or as a cooldown afterward to relax the muscles into rest. Tight wrists can cause hand, shoulder, and joint pain, as well as wrist disorders such as tendonitis.

Types of Wrist stretches

a.) Prayer Stretches

Prayer stretches engage the muscles of your forearm, wrist, and hand. Sit in a comfortable position with your elbows bent inward at a 90-degree angle, palms squeezed together, and fingers pointed upward to conduct a prayer stretch. Slowly slide your hands down your chest, extending your elbows until your wrists feel a slight stretch. Hold for several deep breaths before releasing.

b.) Stress Ball Grip Exercise

Grip exercises serve to develop the tendons and muscles in your hands, wrists, and forearms. Sit comfortably and support your elbow on your knee for a basic wrist workout for grip strength. Grip a stress ball or another firm item that gives way under pressure, such as a tennis ball packed with air. Squeeze for five seconds before releasing and counting to ten. Repeat for each hand up to ten times.

c) Pronation and supination stretch

The spinning ability of your wrists is known as pronation and supination. Sit in a comfortable position with your right elbow supported by your right knee or a table and your palm facing up to stretch your rotation muscles. Then, gently rotate your palm inward so that it faces the ground. Repeat for each wrist several times. To increase the effort, add a light dumbbell.

2. Seated Leg Raises

Sit towards the edge of the bench or chair, legs at right angles, feet firmly planted on the floor. Sit up tall and grab the seat on either side for more stability. Raise your right leg off the ground while keeping your foot flexed and engaging your upper leg muscles. Hold for 7-15 seconds, relax for at least 20 seconds in between stretches, then repeat with the other leg.

3. Chair Dips

Chair dips, for example, are simple, effective, and simple to include in your regimen. Chair dips work the back muscles of the upper arms. While the front biceps receive a lot of attention, you’ll want to concentrate on the entire arm for maximum strength and overall tone.

Place your arms at your sides and your feet flat on the floor. Hip distance apart on the chair or bench. Your fingers should be firmly gripping the front of the chair seat.

Extend your arms and move your torso forward off the chair. Your buttocks should be hovering above the floor and your knees slightly bent. Your heels should be a few inches in front of your knees on the floor. Inhale deeply as you slowly lower your body, hinging at the elbows to produce a 90-degree angle. Exhale as you push up to your starting posture, arms fully extended.

4. Calf Raises

Calf raises should be included in your strength training routine if you want to work your lower-leg muscles. Calf raises work the muscles on the back of your lower legs, specifically the gastrocnemius muscle and the soleus muscle near your Achilles tendon. Calf raises can help to increase ankle stability and mobility. Calf raises, with repetition, can help you create strong calf muscles that protect your ankles. Calf raises have the potential to develop explosive power. Calf raises can increase your performance during explosive activities like running and jumping by strengthening the muscles responsible for knee flexion and plantar flexion in your feet. In fact, according to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, exercising calf raises and variants will improve your balance and muscular structure

Sit up straight in your chair, feet hip-width apart. Reposition your feet so that your heels are behind your knees. Lift your heels off the floor and come up on your toes from this position. Maintain your position and slowly lower your heels. Repeat for the specified number of times.

5. Shadow Boxing

Seated workouts are adaptable since they may be done by people of various fitness levels, and those with restricted mobility are not excluded. Boxing is an excellent activity for raising your heart rate, using your muscles, and maintaining flexibility. Shadowboxing has been recognized to have many benefits, and all moves are done seated in this workout to keep any pressure off your lower body.

But first, a warm-up. Before attempting the five-minute workout. Circle your arms for 30 seconds, then rotate from your core multiple times. Complete marching arms’ for 30 seconds. Tap your wheels or heels, alternating left and right. 40 seconds punching in front, 20 seconds break. Now you are ready to start shadowboxing. Begin with your hands by your face, elbows tucked into your body. Fully extend the arm with your shoulder weight behind the punch. To land the shot with the palm pointing down, rotate the hand. Quickly recoil your hand, returning it to your initial guard posture. Head hooks for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds. Hooks are directed toward the side of the face. This allows your body to rotate and propel your hand forward. Maintaining a 90-degree angle with your arm, move your hand up and over, allowing your elbow to follow your wrist. Land the shot with your palm pointing down and your glove’s knuckle making contact with the side of the bag. Your elbow and wrist should be horizontally level. Quickly recoil your hand, returning it to your initial guard posture.

6. Chest Opener

The open-arm chest stretch exercises stretches the chest muscles, promotes blood circulation, and relieves neck and back stiffness. This stretch also helps to open up the chest and align the shoulder blades, which improves posture and flexibility. Stretching your chest and upper back on a daily basis is essential if you want a strong and lean upper body. When performing the open-arm chest stretch, relax your entire body by keeping your head up, opening your chest, and breathing out as you stretch the muscles. Don’t force yourself into any posture; instead, rest your chest muscles before attempting a deeper stretch.

In performing the chest opener stretch, stand or sit up straight. Hold both arms out in front of you, palms to palms. Inhale deeply and pull your arms out and back smoothly. Take several deep, cleansing breaths, opening your chest and shoulders. As you breathe, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Both arms must gently go back to the starting position. Remember to maintain a straight core and avoid overextending your back. Bring your eyes as far as is comfortable, being careful not to overextend your neck. Maintain your posture and protect your back by engaging your abdominal muscles.

Repeat these 5-10 times.

7. Oblique Twists

The oblique twist is an excellent workout for strengthening your core muscles. It is one of the few exercises that exclusively targets your abs’ side muscles, commonly known as obliques. The oblique twist movement activates and strengthens your oblique muscles, which are in charge of spine movement and core stabilization. The oblique twist exercise engages and strengthens your oblique muscles, which are responsible for spine mobility and core stability. This exercise, along with the plank, crunch, and bridge, can be done as part of a core-building routine. It can also be used as part of a total body strengthening workout and is especially beneficial if you play a sport that requires you to toss a ball or swing a club. 

Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor or lifted off the ground. If you find it difficult to maintain the position and your feet move around, consider tucking them beneath a stable item. Sit at a 45-degree angle and contract your abs. Twist slowly from your torso to your right while contracting your abs. Pause for a moment to hold the position. Contract your abs quickly but smoothly and twist your torso back to the center position. Repeat the process 10-15 times.

If you work at a desk, for example, your strengthened core will assist you in sitting with improved posture. This can help you avoid lower back pain while also reducing fatigue and muscle soreness.

8. Seated Leg Extensions

Sit comfortably on a chair or a padded chair. The rectus femoris and vastus muscles on the front of the thigh are primarily worked throughout the workout. As part of a strength training routine, you can utilize this exercise to develop lower body strength and muscular definition.

Sit erect on a chair. Stretch out your left leg for five seconds.

Go back to the starting position. Then repeat the process with the other leg this time.

Too much sitting can cause weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic ailments. Even if we don’t believe your job will kill you, it’s a good idea to take some simple steps to improve your workplace health. Simply moving your body a little more at your desk is a good place to start. If you work remotely and want to exercise with your colleagues virtually, consider hosting an online fitness class for your firm.

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