No More Excuses: 10 Simple Office Exercises for Your Fitness

Sitting for a long period of time can cause ache all over and increase the risk of diabetes, obesity and heart disease. As the modern office workers, we spend 9.5 hours a day on average sitting, therefore, increasing standing time properly or doing some simple exercises at work helps a lot. But, here comes a problem – what kind of exercises should we do in the office with little free space? Ok, don’t worry, keep on reading, you will find the answer.

1. Neck Stretch

After a long time of sitting especially in the improper postures, makes us feel painful in the shoulder and neck. To relieve pain and release pressure, sitting up straight in your chair, and put your feet flat on the floor. Then drop your right ear down to your right shoulder as close as you can, but you don’t need to touch it. Holding for 3-5 seconds, then repeat the other side.

2. Overhead Stretch

That is quite easy. Sitting upright on a chair and interlacing your fingers, then raise your arms over your head. Notice to Keep your palms facing towards the ceiling, and reaching up as high as you can. After that, you will feel much more relax and focused.

3. Open Chest Stretch

Standing straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and interlace your hands behind your back. Then lean forward slowing, lift your arms and squeeze shoulder blades to open your chest. Next, Inhale slowly, and try to lift your arms higher to feel the chest stretch. Hold for 5 - 10 seconds, then slowly release and take a break for the next repeat.

Sitting straight on a chair, then raise your left arm over your head and reach out as far as you can to the right. Gently bend over and hold for about 3 – 5 seconds, then repeat the other side. 

This exercise can help stretch out the glutes. Raise your left leg and put your ankle on right knee, then gently press against your left knee for about 5 times. After finishing the left side, repeat again for the right side.

6. Take a Walk

It might be the simplest office exercise. You can set up a reminder to get up and take a walk around your office. 30 – 45 seconds a time, 3-5 times a day. Or walking to your colleagues instead of communicating on the phone. 

7. Push Ups

Standing in front of a desk with your feet about 2-3 feet away, and place your hands on the edge of the desk a little wider than your shoulder width. Then slightly bend your elbows and lean in your body towards desk as close as you can. Next step, push back slowly until your elbows are straight, but not locked.  Repeat 10-20 reps each time.

Firstly, stand up and put your legs shoulder-width apart. Then sit back down to reach the chair and repeat 10 times. Remember when doing this exercise, do not let your knees go over the toes or bend over, otherwise, it will hurt your knees.

This exercise is a little bit harder than others, but it is so effective and can be done anywhere in the office only with a stable chair (without wheels or can be locked). Position your hands shoulder-width apart on the chair, then lower your body straight toward the floor and slowly bend your elbows to target those triceps. Use your arms to move up and down, and repeat 3 sets of 10 times.

Firstly, sit in the chair and keep your back straight. Next, hold the small weight bottled waters next to ears, then raise them up overhead in a semicircular motion. Your hands should come close but not touched. Then, recover to the starting position and repeat for about 10 times.