Our days are usually composed of sitting down almost the entire day from our car or commute, to our desk at the office, and again when we reach home, sitting in front of the TV for a much needed rest and relaxation. Unfortunately, sitting for hours is not good for your overall health as it may cause your blood pressure to go up, make you gain weight, and even put you at risk of heart problems and what not. Exercise is important, true, but where can you put it in your busy schedule?
The good news is that there are desk stretches that may help your blood flowing easily so you’ll help prevent health issues along the way. Here are a few stretches that you should try.
Knee-jerk
While you are sitting, raise your left leg and take a hold of your knee. Bring it towards your chest as close as you can manage then hold this pose for 10 seconds before releasing. You should do the same with the other leg. Continue alternating if you want to give your legs a nice stretch.
Backwards clap
Another stretch that you can do in your desk is the backwards clap. Put both of your hands at your back with your palms touching one another and push your chest out. Make sure that your back is straight and that your core is tight. Hold this pose for 10 seconds then release.
Bobble head
Don’t forget to give your head and neck a nice stretch too with the bobble head exercise. Start by leaning your head downwards then rotate your neck from left then to the right slowly. This may look weird to some of your co-workers but you can sing a song while you are doing it so you won’t feel embarrassed or, ask them to do the stretch with you. They’ll feel better too.
Neck breaker
Feeling some tightness on your head and neck? The neck breaker is a good stretch to remove the tension there. Sit tall with your feet on the floor and your back straight. With your left hand, reach out to your right ear then bring your head to the left. Press down gently then hold for 10 seconds. Release then repeat on the opposite side.
Hand holding
Our hands and wrists are often working all day so a little bit of aches and pains can be expected. You can prevent them, however, by doing some hand stretches. In this stretch, take a hold of your left hand with your right then bend it towards you gently until you feel a stretch. Hold for a few seconds then release. Repeat with the other hand. Do this three times on each hand. Another stretch that you can do is to grab your hand with your palm facing outwards then bend the fingers toward you gently. You will feel a stretch on your wrist. Hold for five seconds then release. Do the same with the other hand.
Wall push
If you can take a few minutes off, you might want to do the wall push. Place your left hand on the wall then push while turning your body towards the opposite direction. This exercise helps stretch your shoulder muscles one at a time. Hold this for about five seconds then release. Now repeat with the other hand. Make sure that you don’t push too hard on the wall.
These desk stretches can help ease the aches and pains that your muscles may feel when you’ve been sitting for hours with minimal movement.
