Introduction

The pandemic lifestyle has made all of us lazy and absolutely unfit. Since workplaces are becoming more hectic and they expect you to be more productive since you are not travelling to the office every day, it takes away most of your time on the desk. There are hardly any breaks, and the work is never-ending. The same is with students who are struggling to finish their degrees as they struggle with a myriad of different issues one after the other. The hope at this moment for a better future looks bleak, and the clarity is hard to locate. But, all along the line, you shouldn’t give up on your body altogether. Here are a few exercises that you can do at your desk. Also, remind yourself to store water in a water bottle on your desk, so you can reach out for a few sips every hour.

Exercises That You Can Do Without Leaving Your Desk

1. Let Go of Tension

Before you dive straight into complicated moves, you must let go of all the tension that resides in your body. If you have been eyeing your computer for an extended period, then it is a fact that your neck needs a little bit of rest. To do that, just bend your neck forward and then move it in a circular motion from left to right. This will calm and move your nerves around that area and increase blood circulation. You can do the same by stretching your hands to 180 degrees.

2. Wrist Rotation

If your job requires you to write long essays or type multiple blogs in one single day, then your hands do most of the work. You will feel burnout if you do not take breaks in between and let your hands rest. But if you have an early deadline, a significant break cannot be feasible. So, a simple exercise can provide a bit of relief. Stretch your hands in front of you, then shake your hands in a free movement. You can also make a fist and move them in a circular motion.

3. Leg Raise

As you sign up for a 9 to 5 job, it does restrict your movement. That is no different even when you are working from home. Your sole desk will become your office, and during long going meetings, your lights might feel sore. So, if you want to counter that, you can do a few sets of leg raises as and when you are sitting on your desk. Just move your legs one by one as high as you can. A 90-degree angle between both your legs is good!

4. Chair Dips

This exercise will need you to move a little bit, but not even that much. Like you do dips, you have to use your chair (one that does not move) as support. Slide your body in front of your desk with your legs in front of you, support your body with your hands placed in front of the chair, and move your body up and down with the help of your core and arms. This exercise will benefit your entire body. Doing three sets of 15 will make your entire body up and running again.

5. Seated Hamstring Stretch

As you are sitting on your desk, stretch your legs in front of you and then reach for your toe. This is the same exercise that you do on a flat surface during yoga sessions. But in order to make up for the time crunch, you can easily do this on the chair. The movement will stretch your legs, arms and even your torso to a good extent.

6. Water Bottle Workout

You cannot sit with weights as you work, but what you can do is – replace the water bottle as a weight. During a workout, keeping yourself hydrated is a must, and for that, you need to keep a water bottle with yourself. Just use the stainless steel water bottle like a weight and move your hands along with it. This exercise is so easy and doable that you can do it anytime that you want.

7. Chest Shoulder Workout

If you are someone who experiences sudden shoulder cramps, then this exercise can do wonders for you. Sit straight on your chair, and hold your neck with both of your hands. Then slowly bend your neck downwards, and then move your hands inwards and outwards in a motion. This exercise will open up your chest and shoulder out of the never-ending carousel of pain.

8. Desk Push-Ups

Back pain is part and parcel of your life; along with your hefty paycheck, you also get a lot of back pain in return for the number of hours you put into work. Just spare a few minutes of your daily routine, and bend your body towards the desk. With the desk being your support, move your body in front of yourself. You just have to pretend as if you are doing a regular push up.

9. Standing Leg Curl

If you have been working non-stop and maintaining the same posture, then you need to get a quick break just to stand up. If you just go and lie down on your bed, it will not really help much. Just stand in front of your desk and, with the support of your chair, stand on one leg as you bend the other one. Do this exercise 10-15 times, and you would realise the amount of stress that is released from your body in no time.

10. Foot Exercise

As you are sitting on your chair, stretch your legs in front of you and try to twist your ankle in a round motion. You would hear a crackle or two as you moved your foot. This exercise does not have a particular rhythm that you need to follow. You can just move your foot in any direction you want, and you will be good to go.

Conclusion

If you do not focus on your body’s well-being, your work efficiency will decline anyway. So, if you want to make sure that your protectivity is at its peak during working hours, accommodate these few exercises into your daily routine.