Sitting all day? Exercises you can do at your desk

Sitting at your desk can leave your body feeling sore and stiff, but sometimes there is nothing you can do about it when you have deadlines looming. But there is a solution to this problem.

“Many of us have jobs that require us to sit at our desks to work and worrying about our joints is not even a consideration until something starts to hurt,” says Odette Vass, brand manager for OsteoEze. “What many of us don’t realise is that prolonged sitting can harm our bodies.”

Try doing the following exercises at your desk to avoid all the aches and pains of sitting all day:

1. Work out your abs – If you have a swivel chair use it to get those obliques working. Push your chair slightly away from your desk, and lightly place your fingertips on the edge of the table. Lift your feet off the ground, sit upright and using your abs, swivel from side to side.
2. Relieve tension in your back – To relieve tension in your back from sitting for too long, simply cross your right arm over your body and rest your hand on your left hip. Then twist your body to the right until you feel the stretch. Hold this position for a few seconds, and then swap over to the other side.
3. Exercise while typing – Sit up straight and lift both your legs in front of you. Very slowly start to drop your legs back to the floor, engaging your stomach muscles as you go. Once your feet are hovering above the ground, keep them there for as long as you can. For extra exercise, move to the edge of your chair, sit up straight and raise only one leg at a time. Keep each leg raised for 10 seconds before returning it to the ground and lifting the other leg.

4. Relieve tension in your shoulders – Lift your shoulders towards your ears and hold for 10 seconds. For a bigger stretch alternate your shoulders.
5. Get the blood flowing – To get your blood flowing and your legs moving, incorporate foot drills into your sitting time. Tap your feet quickly, under your desk, for 30 seconds.
6. Get up and work – Simply get up and walk around. Get the blood flowing to your legs and loosen up your joints. Get a cup of coffee, say hello to a co-worker or take a quick lap around the office.