Exercise At Your Desk: 9 Ideas For Stretching, Muscle-Strengthening & Short Bursts Of Cardio | Office Exercises slideshows | Physical activities center

Constant Sitting Is Your Enemy

Many people aren't aware of the fact that sitting at your desk all day is not a good idea at all. Such a sedentary lifestyle makes your body lazy enough to do any work or exercise. This in turn causes problems that can harm your health. Obesity is the most common disease found in the people who lack adequate physical activity. Obesity is the primary cause of various fatal diseases such as Myocardial Infarction, Deep Vein Thrombosis, Diabetes, and Hypercholesterolemia. People lacking adequate physical activity are at and increased risk of heart diseases. Immobility causes decreased blood flow throughout the body that increases the risk of Atherosclerosis - Vascular Blockage.

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Photo courtesy of David Boyle by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/beglendc/351983613/
www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/exercise-at-your-desk
http://www.nursingschools.net/blog/2011/02/14-proven-side-effects-of-sitting-all-day/

Replace Your Chair With An Exercise Ball

Many of us spend the majority of our time sitting at a desk during our work. Your sitting posture has a great effect on the vertebral column or backbone. These effects might not occur at the early stages, but some day the you will feel the difference. Lower back pain is the most common problem that occurs with age. Even if your posture is perfect, pain occurs with some delay. Experts now encourage people to use an exercise ball instead of a chair. Why an exercise ball? It has been proved that our body, when positioned on an exercise ball constantly keeps making slight adjustments involuntarily to remain balanced. These muscles gain extra strength this way and help improve your posture. It also guards you against back injuries, especially lower back pain.

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Photo courtesy of Mitchell Joyce by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/hckyso/1235584020/
lifehacker.com/5830748/why-i-switched-my-office-chair-with-an-exercise-ball-and-what-it-feels-like

Add Aerobics To Your Office Routine

Spending a whole day sitting at a desk can make you feel sluggish and lethargic. We all know that life is busy. You can hardly get the time to go out for a walk or spend some time on cardio-exercises. Well, there is an alternative. You can add some aerobics to your work. The best choice is “Stairs”. Do not use lifts/elevators all the time. You can do some “calf raises” while standing next to a printer or photocopier. Simply raise your heels off the floor and put them down. Try performing chair dips, leg lifts and muscle clenches at your desk. All these exercises will keep you fit. Remember – don’t feel embarrassed while doing any of these exercises at your desk.

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Photo courtesy of Jacob Botter by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/jakecaptive/211603749/

Walk Your Way To A Healthy Heart Through The Conference Room

Brisk walking is better than any other exercise. Don’t be lazy. Whenever possible, give yourself some time, walk to the conference room fast-walk a few rounds. It is the best way to stay fit, and 15 minutes are enough to keep you happy and healthy. Walking lowers your cholesterol levels and strengthens your heart muscles — in turn, this results in better blood supply to every organ of the body. It lowers the risk of diabetes and hypertension. Sitting at your desk the whole day can make you feel irritated, but a a prescription for a 15-minute dose of walking is just what you need.

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Photo courtesy of Larry Armstrong by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/sporkwrapper/8706639111/
health.sify.com/11-benefits-of-brisk-walking/

Keep Stretching Your Body Now And Then

The idea of stretching your body at work is not new. It is a great idea to stretch your body at work if you can't get out of the office. Stretching keeps your body healthy and provides many benefits such as improved circulation and normal muscle tone. Stretching regulates your blood flow. Because it provides better circulation, the blood supply to your muscles is also increased. Flexing your muscles can improve your performance. Flexibility of muscle tissues decreases with age but stretching your muscles regularly can help you regain your flexibility and maintain it. It also keeps your muscles from getting tight. This helps you to maintain proper posture. Stretching relieves the stress of your mind and keeps you calm. It helps your nervous system to coordinate efficiently.

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Photo courtesy of Bill Ruhsam by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/bruhsam/3985889048/
physicaltherapy.about.com/od/flexibilityexercises/a/stretchbasics.htm

Lifting Little Weights Won't Harm You

Lifting weights as a part of your exercise routine has been controversial in medicine as well as the fitness industry. Do be aware of the fact that weightlifting is neither harmful nor unsafe. Lifting little weights is totally safe and has been proven to be beneficial. Not everybody gets the time to go to the gym and work out. One needs at least 1 hour to attend the gym. For a busy person, the best option is to lift little weights during work. You can keep little weights with you at your desk and can use them anytime during your work. It helps you to create non-bulky and strong muscle fibers – very beneficial for typists.

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Photo courtesy of Mario Sandoval by Picasa : picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=office+exercise&uname=109008901828086469253&psc=G&filter=1#5696871396361581186

Yoga Postures & Medidations Keep You Young

Yoga is the best way to balance out your fitness. Adding some yoga exercises to your routine can be of extreme benefit. Yoga exercises, a good posture and meditation improve your overall flexibility, balance and strength. Yoga stabilizes your autonomic nervous system (ANS) equilibrium. It also maintains your pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure. The greatest benefit of yoga is enhanced eye-hand coordination which increases your efficiency at work. Yoga has many psychological benefits as well. It increases your social adjustment, self-actualization and self-acceptance. Yoga postures remarkably improve your concentration, memory and attention. This keeps a person happy and satisfied with work.

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Photo courtesy of Better Body Shop by Picasa : picasaweb.google.com/lh/view?q=office+exercise&uname=109008901828086469253&psc=G&filter=1#5862627726856455218

Exercise In Groups - Don't Be Embarrassed

Many people are shy but most are self-conscious. Before doing anything, a thought crosses their mind: “What will people think about me?” Erase this thought from your mind. Exercise is no crime. It’s just healthy and beneficial. To get you out of this thought try exercising in groups. There are many benefits of exercising in q group. No one feels embarrassed or shy in a group. It also helps you to increase your coordination with your coworkers which in turn will help you in doing office work as a team. It gives motivation to other workers to join you during exercises. Your new-found team spirit may even carry over into work.

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Photo courtesy of Lindsay by Flickr : www.flickr.com/photos/lindsaydeebunny/5067199371/
www.acsm.org/access-public-information/articles/2012/01/20/benefits-of-group-exercise

Ping-Pong Table - Entertainment And Health At Once

Ping pong is described as “high-speed chess”. It is not difficult to put a ping-pong table in your office, and to spend some of your break time playing ping-pong. It will not only entertain you, but will also give you various health benefits. Playing ping-pong increases your brain activity. It fairly enhances eye-hand coordination. It is aerobic, uses both the lower and upper body and requires different areas of the brain to function. Mental alertness is imperative for office work. You will be surprised to know that ping-pong players are excellent at creating and solving puzzles, so playing ping pong will make you more creative and proactive.

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Legs Muscles - Pumping Organs Of Lower Limb

Never ignore your legs. Legs affect the performance of your whole body because the calf muscles play an important role in regulating your blood pressure in lower limbs. Research shows that the calf muscles are the pumping organs of the lower limbs while the thigh muscles are the strength of your body. Leg exercises usually take quite a long time. But there are few exercises that you can do at your desk without giving it extra time. It is recommended that you vibrate your legs for 5-10 minutes every hour. Don’t keep your legs immobile for a long time because it decreases the blood flow of the body, and can result in loss of proper attention. There are other leg exercises that you can do at your desk such as one-legged squats, leg extensions and thigh muscle static contractions.