In this new article, we explore ways to keep yourself moving in the office workplace with some great office exercises and even suggest that your office exercise routine can become a beneficial teambuilding opportunity.
Let’s get started!
How can I exercise while sitting down?
90% of people reading this article right now are sitting down.
And if you’re one of those vast majority of people, it’s high time that you stood up and do some exercises instead of sitting around in your house or in your office.
Get physical and be active to stop your body from stagnating for too long!
Do some office exercises in your workplace and see just how good it is for passing time and you can even turn your exercise routine into a very beneficial team building experience!
And that is exactly what is happening in the Philippines, where the majority of office work is just as you would imagine it.
It’s composed of roughly 8 to 9 hours of purely sitting down and facing a computer but with a twist.
Keeping active in the workplace is just one thing that has turned into a team building exercise in the Philippines
Where the only times you stand up is when you have to go to the comfort room and when it’s time to buy something to eat.
Though it’s quite inevitable, being locked on your work shouldn’t be enough of an obstacle to stop you from being able to exercise.
In fact, that just means you have a lot of time to make use of for it!
When you think about it, you can do more than just sit down and send emails, write articles, analyze data while at work.
Oftentimes you’ll find yourself dozing off or looking at your social media during downtime.
If you’re looking to get some exercising done on the spot, then get ready because here’s a list of easy to do exercises that everyone in your office can do!
So with that said here are some great office exercises to help you stay active in the office workplace.
How can I exercise while sitting down? Easy Stop Sitting Down!
Before we go into the many workplace exercises that you can do, here’s a short and simple reminder that will make sure that you get enough exercise done while in the office:
Don’t Just Sit Down.
On average, the common office worker spends 8.5 hours sitting down in their cubicle or seat.
When compared to the number of hours of sleep that the average person gets, that’s a lot more.
Remember, the human body was designed to be physically active.
For thousands of years, it has evolved this way because of our innate survival instincts.
We move to do the most basic things.
To gather food, to get away from danger, and to discover new things.
By literally stopping and sitting down for the majority of our lives, we’re going against what our bodies are made for and that can lead to an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle.
That time you spend sitting down is time spent not doing any kind of significant physical activity.
This can lead to a rather inactive lifestyle that can result in a number of illnesses and health problems.
Would you be surprised to hear that an inactive lifestyle can lead to an increased risk of certain types of cancer or that your inactivity can be a big contributing factor to cardiovascular disease?
Aside from the risk of illness, the majority of people are sitting down in a very improper way.
Slouching and extending your head forward, though done by most if not all people, is actually quite detrimental to our posture because it’s basically opposed to being aligned with your spine.
Keeping your head forward constantly compresses the nerves in your neck which can lead to awful headaches at the very base of your skull.
Whenever you are sitting down, make sure that your chairs are at the right height to reduce neck and back strain.
Your feet should be flat on the ground and your knees and hips at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your back pressed against the chair to maintain good posture and try to keep the top 1/3rd of your monitor above your eye level.
By doing so, you ensure that sitting down on the job won’t be that detrimental to your physique!
If you find that you suffer from bad posture from sitting all day at your desk then you may want to invest in a posture corrector to help support your back, neck and shoulders.
They are readily available over on Amazon
Upper Body Office Exercises For The Workplace
Exercising at work isn’t really something that’s common around many companies.
But it is, however, a very good strategy in making sure that your employees are all healthy and physically fit!
Another thing to take note of is that you don’t need any fancy equipment or extra complex exercises to start off your fitness efforts.
All you have to do is move your body a little, stand up, and a little bit of multi-tasking for maximum work efficiency!
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Here are a few upper body exercises that you can do at the office right now!
Head Stretches
Since a lot of the time, it’s your head that will be strained because of looking at many things and turning to respond to some people calling you, it’s very important to keep it as flexible and warmed up as possible.
Exercises that stretch the head will reduce the stress that piles up with it from time to time.
Notable stretches include the these three
- Rubber Neck – sit up straight and tall. Drop your right ear down towards your right shoulder as close as you can and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat for the left side.
- Look Around – Turn your head to the left and try to look over your shoulder. Hold shit for a few seconds. Then repeat on the right
- Bobblehead – Drop your chin down towards your chest. Gently roll your head from side to side. Do this clockwise and counter-clockwise.
- Shrugs – raise both shoulders up towards your ears and hold for a few seconds, and then release. Repeat for a few times.
- Chest Opener – bring your hands behind your back, press your palms together, then sit up tall and hold it for a few seconds.
Arm and Shoulder Stretches
The part of your body which is most used while your working is probably your hands and fingers, along with the whole arm and shoulder.
They receive a lot of stress thanks solely to keeping your hands in the right area. Again, stretching them will help relieve the whole arm from built-up stress over time. Notable stretches include the following:
- Reach for the Stars – interlace your fingers as you reach and stress them towards the ceiling. Do it as high as you can. Once at the peak, hold for a few seconds and do a few repetitions of it.
- Shrugs – raise both shoulders up towards your ears and hold for a few seconds, and then release. Repeat for a few times.
- Chest Opener – bring your hands behind your back, press your palms together, then sit up tall and hold it for a few seconds.
Other Upper Body Workouts
Here are a few exercises that will require at least a little bit of movement to be most effective.
- Arm Pulses – you can do this while sitting down straight or standing up. for the pulses, lay your hands flat on your side and swing them backwards to its limit. Don’t force it too much. Do so 20 times.
- Arm Circles – stretch your arms sideways and move them in a circular motion. Repeat 20 times in each direction. You can also do this either sitting down or standing up.
- Triceps Dips – only do this with a stationary chair. Go in front of it. With both hands facing forward, place your palms flat on the chair, then bend your elbows straight. Slowly lower yourself down several inches while keeping your back as close to the chair as possible. Then straighten your arms to rise back to your original position. Repeat this 20 times.
Lower Body Office Exercises For The Workplace
Of course, you shouldn’t just focus on your arms and head, you have to make sure that your whole body gets at least a small percentage of exercise every time you do so.
Make use of this list of lower body exercises!
- Thigh and Leg Stretch – While sitting down, your lower body takes up most of the strain and stress because it supports your whole upper body. And when your posture of sitting down is not too proper, chances are your lower body will be the most stressed part of your body.
- Gluts – place your right ankle onto your left knee and drop your right knee until you feel a stretch in the gluts. You might need to bend forward at the hips to feel the stretch happen. Hold the posture for 30 seconds and repeat it three times
- Gluts and ITB – cross one leg over the other and then pull the knee toward the opposite shoulder. You should feel a stretch on the outside of the thigh. Hold it for 30 seconds and repeat for three times.
- Hamstrings – sit on the edge of the chair. Keep one leg bent and the opposite leg straight. Bend forward at the hips. You should feel a stretch at the back of the straight leg. Hold this for 30 seconds and repeat it three times for both sides.
- Calves – Sit on the edge of your chair. Straighten one leg and concentrate on pointing your toes upwards and drive your heel into the ground. You should feel a stretch in the back of your calf. Hold this for 30 seconds and repeat it three times on either side.
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Lower Body Workouts
- Chair Squats – stand up from your chair and lower your body back down, stopping right before you sit back down.
Repeat these 10 times. - Standing Rear Pulses – stand up from your chair.
Hold the edge of your desk for support and bend one leg behind while flexing your foot.
Raise your heel up a few inches then release slightly and press your foot directly behind you.
Continue doing so and remember to alternate between lifting your heel up then pressing it back.
Do these 20 to 30 times then switch to the other side. - Pretend Jump Rope – hop on both your feet at once or alternately.
You can choose to up the intensity by moving your arms as if you really were using a jump rope. - Wall Sits – slide your back down a wall until your hips are at the same level as your knees.
Be sure to keep your knees together at a 90-degree angle.
Maintain the position for 30 seconds to a minute.
Office Exercises For The Workplace – Hitting The Core
Don’t forget about your abdomen.
Your centre is important in making sure that you’re physically fit because it’s what connects the extremities of your body.
Here are 3 very simple office core exercises
- Cat Stretch – sit up straight. Place your feet flat on the floor and rest your palms on top of your knees. Inhale, arch your back and lookup. pull your shoulders back as you do so. When you exhale, round your spine, pull your shoulders towards each other at the front of the body and drop your head towards your chest. Repeat these 8 to 10 times.
- Seated Spinal Twist – sit on your chair sideways so that your shoulders and back are perpendicular to the back of the chair. Sit up straight, place your feet flat on the ground and place your hands on the back of the chair. Use your arms to twist and pull yourself toward the chair. Repeat on the other side. Do so for 8 to 10 repetitions.
- Lower Abs Leg Lifts – sit straight up with your feet flat on the floor. Lift one leg up at a time while you keep your core tight. For a more challenging form, try lifting both legs up at the same time. Repeat 20 times.
Got No Time for Gym? Here Are Some Office Exercises For The Workplace – Key Takeaway
If you want to exercise but don’t have the time outside of work, then don’t fret because you can easily work out while you’re at work!
There’s a lot of simple and subtle things that you can do to stay physically fit while you’re at work!
Just consider the office exercises mentioned above to start out your new workplace fitness routine!
That’s all for now!
So do you work out while in the office?
Do you have any office exercises that you do that we can incorporate into this article?
Let us know in the comments section below.
Make sure that you click subscribe on the comments so that you are notified when we reply
Regards
ZAR
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Bluetechno
I will show this article to my friends. Pure value. Lower body exercises are important and very easy to implement them.
Bluetechno recently posted…Project Bluefire Android
Dexter Roona
Thanks, Techno, we appreciate the share.
Dexter Roona recently posted…8 Tips On SEO Copywriting That Can Help You Rank Better
Marcus@strengthery
Nice article. I have had a lot of issues because of poor sitting posture while working at the office especially with my upper body posture.
My go-to exercises are the door stretch and doing chin tucks. I also keep a resistance band handy for doing extensions.
Marcus@strengthery recently posted…4 Theragun Alternatives That Are Compareble But Cheaper
Kyra Rodriguez
Thank you for sharing these office exercises!!!
Kyra Rodriguez recently posted…How to Make Your Co-Working Space in the Philippines Healthy for Employees
Dexter Roona
Hope you found this article useful.
Dexter Roona recently posted…13 Practical E-commerce SEO Tips for Your Site
Lesly Federici
Staying flexible is really important especially as we age. There are some great exercises here. I really like the ones for sitting at the desk since I’m guilty of sitting a lot at my computer 🙂
Dexter Roona
I’m always slouched but I do lift weights to strengthen the back and I do a lot of work on the rotator cuffs to keep my posture good.
It seems to work for me.
Thanks for stopping by Lesly.
Dexter Roona recently posted…13 Practical E-commerce SEO Tips for Your Site
Adrian Willson
Poor posture can really cause many problems in the body, especially for the people are who are suffering from the varicose vein problems, as sitting for longer period of time on the seat can cause different problems. Thanks for sharing the office exercises.
Adrian Willson recently posted…Skin Discoloration on Legs – How A Vascular Doctor NYC Can Cure Your Stasis Dermatitis
Benny Smith
Sitting in front of the computer do causes a back pain, neck pain problem. These exercises are definitely worth for the people who spend most of the time sitting on the chair only in office.
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Naresh Kana
Please don’t mind but these exercises are boring.
Naresh Kana recently posted…Top 8 Best Cardio for Weight Loss
Neil Dimapilis
This is amazing! never knew that sitting for a long time has a negative effect on our bodies. thank you for sharing this with us
Neil Dimapilis recently posted…Top 10 Keystone Habits That Can Help You Follow Through with Your Health Goals
Alex
This is really awesome information for office workers I am also worried a lot because I don’t do any exercise and stay busy all the time and I sit too much but your tips are really good and with the help of these tips I will become active.
stefen james
Thank you for sharing this post. I enjoy a lot while reading. It’s really helpful for me.
jacob
First of all, it is very important to be physically fit to be able to perform everyday jobs effectively and efficiently during the course of our lifestyles. And to further increase our level of fitness and make our lives better, we must own a fitness tracker that keeps a track of how healthy and fit our body is at a point of time.
jacob recently posted…Literary agents: all your questions answered | Jericho Writers
Eames Rocker Chair Germany
You can put a good chair also in the office that supports a back arch so that it won’t be hard to sit all day when working. Along with proper exercise and you are helping your employees.
Ben
Love this article. We sit way too often in todays world and it is literally killing us. Great idea for an article and good content. Cheers!
Ben recently posted…Stability Ball Exercises: The Top 10 Ball Exercises for Back Pain
Alina Megat
This is a great article about office exercise and I really found it very it interesting so thanks for sharing it with us.
Rahul Sharma
Hello,
I will read your whole article , that is very nicely written and informative also.
Thanks for sharing keep sharing these type of article.
Suhana Morgan
Hello Zar,
office supplies are a significant piece of each office. No office can be utilitarian without them. In any case, this also is valid that representatives do exploit these provisions and attempt to satisfy their own needs with them. Sometimes to walk on the office, it is best practice for employ.
Jon Muller
Sitting too long can really lead to different complications. Aside from ensuring proper posture, take short but frequent breaks. Stretching your arms and legs can make a big difference. You can also add arm cirles, leg lift and russian twist on your list.
North Brisbane pilates
Pilates exercise have routines you can do on your office. It is really helpful for those who want to stay fit.
North Brisbane pilates recently posted…Why Reform Offers the Best Pilates Experience in Brisbane
Raja
Thanks for a well written and informative post. I’m bookmarking it now!
Raja recently posted…Best Children’s Water Pump Toy You Can Buy (2019 Reviews)
Rosie
Sitting all day long in front of the computer is terrible. I want to do some exercise but it always seems weird in the office. Your guide is exactly what I find. I did apply to stretch my arms and shoulder and it worked well. Thanks for sharing.!
Weight Loss Meal Plan
According to job timings, it’s very difficult to give time for gym. So, i think such exercises are to helpful for us. Thanks for the great stuff.
Weight Loss Meal Plan recently posted…What Everyone Must Know About Senior Exercise and Fitness Tips
Louis wilson
Hi Zar! I like this office exercise very much, I have had a lot of issues because of poor sitting posture while working at the office, especially with my upper body posture. So thanks for these great office tips.
Rifat
What an Great Post. Very interesting topic of the time and I really thrilled to read this. Keep posting such interesting topics.
Mark Wood
This is an excellent article. I’ve had a lot of problems with back pain and neck ache as a result of bad sitting posture when working at the office in front of the computer. These exercises are well worth doing for folks who spend most of their time sitting in an office chair.