5 Desk Exercises To Improve Your Energy Levels

For the majority of the UK, the working week consists of sitting at our office desk and more often than not in front of a computer or laptop. This situation can also mean there isn’t much opportunity to get away from your work, or the office, to get any real exercise.

It is regularly proved that this is not very healthy. Living this lifestyle can leave us feeling with a lack of energy and frustrated at the same time.

It’s true that for most workers we can do nothing with regards to our job. However, this doesn’t mean there is nothing we can do about getting some desk exercise. Desk exercises are a great way to help strengthen and even tone your body without leaving your office or even your office chair.

As with many office workers you spend most of the day sitting on your office chair. Fear not, this is a terrific exercise that can help strengthen your body and your arms.

The Magic Carpet

1. Lift up your feet up onto your chair and cross your legs
2. Hold in your stomach and put your hands onto the armrests of the chair ensures that you are putting all your weight on your arms.
3. Lift up yourself 3-4 inches off your seat.
4. Making sure you are only using your body, hands and arms, hold for twelve seconds before releasing the position and sitting on the chair.
5. Rest and repeat the process up ten times.

The Wrist Stretcher

Sat at your office desk typing can prove really tough on your wrists. The wrist stretcher is a great exercise to help relax them.

1. Stretch out your arm, one at a time with your palm of your hand facing downwards.
2. Use your other hand to pull back your fingers downwards for five seconds and then upwards for five seconds.
3. Change arms and repeat 5 times.

Leg Curls & Lifts

It’s very common to spend time standing beside the printer or photocopier. This is the perfect opportunity to make use of the following exercise. This will help with the toning of your legs.

1. Lift one of your legs behind you or lift to one side. It is very important to keep it straight at all times. Hold it for a second or two and lower it back into its natural position.
2. Repeat the same with your other leg.
3. Continue until you feel tired.

Another similar leg exercise can also be done from a seated position.

1. From a sitting position, fully stretch our your straight legs in front of you and cross them.
2. Lift them up off the floor remembering to keep them crossed and straight.
3. Hold this position for as long as possible.
4. Put your legs down and cross them the opposite way.
5. Repeat the procedure again until you feel tired.

The Heel Raise

The heel raise is a great exercise that can be performed standing or in a seated position. It is terrific for strengthening those calf muscles too.

1. Sit up or stand up as tall as you can. Then gently lift your heels up from the floor until you are only resting on the balls of your feet.
2. Hold for at least 5 seconds and then slowly lower yourself back into your natural position.
3. Repeat for around 20 times on each foot.
4. Remember, the more reps you perform the stronger your calf muscles will be.

Shoulders and Neck Shaper

Without a doubt one of the biggest issues of being hunched over your desk or office computer is aching necks and shoulders. This neck and shoulder exercise will help immensely.

This exercise will help relieve your aching neck and also tone you up at the same time.

Tone Your Neck

1. Put your head directly into your hands and push the palms of your hands onto your forehead. Do this with a slow but firm like you are pushing your head backwards.
2. Resist the pressure using your neck muscles.
3. Next, connect your hands behind your head and push your head backwards.
4. This time use your hands to resist the pressure.
5. Repeat the 2 steps.

Tone Your Shoulders

Once you have completed your neck exercises, we can now move on to those shoulders.

1. Roll your shoulders until you can feel your shoulder blades touching each other.
2. Try to imagine you are holding a pen between them and hold for at least 12 seconds.
3. Relax for a short while and then repeat the process again.

https://youtu.be/EprpVJmPs4Y

Continuing this process over a period of time will guarantee you feeling much healthier with far more energy.

Looking for a few more desk exercises? Feel free to take a look at our desk exercise infographic below.