Elementary Workout Schedules for Office- and Home Workers COMPILED BY DEAN AMORY

Desk exercises you can do at work or at home
without even leaving your chair.
An office job is no longer an excuse for skipping your workout. If you're feeling tense, take a five
minute break and try a few of these exercises to help you relax. You can also do desk exercise on your
lunch break. Remember, any amount of exercise keeps you moving and is beneficial to your health.
1. Lift one leg off the floor while sitting in your chair. Extend the leg straight out and hold for two
seconds. Lower the foot but stop a few inches before you reach the floor. Hold for five seconds,
and then switch to the opposite side. Perform this desk exercise 15 times on each side.
2. Place both hands on the arms of your chair. Slowly lift your bottom a few inches off of the chair.
Hold for a few seconds and then return to the sitting position. Repeat this desk exercise 15 times to
work the upper body.
3. Sit up straight in your chair. Stretch both arms up and over your head. Hold for 10 seconds, then
reach both hands up as high as you can go, reaching from your spine. Hold for several seconds and
then slowly bring your arms back down. Repeat the desk exercise as many times as comfortable to
stretch the back muscles and relieve tension.
4. Shrug your shoulders. Lift shoulders up toward your ears. Hold for several seconds, then release
and drop the shoulders down. Repeat this desk exercise at least three times to work the neck and
upper back muscles.
5. Tighten your buttocks. Hold for five seconds. Release, and then repeat at least 15 times. This is a
very unobtrusive under desk exercise and can be executed when others are in the room.
6. Do belly rolls when you are not typing! Move your belly in and out and until you are either out of
breath or you can feel your stomach getting a work out. You will be surprised by how much of a
work out this really is. Your stomach muscles will start to get sore but it will burn a little calories
while your sitting down reading emails, articles or browsing the internet.
7. Shake your knees and feet. You can do this step even if you are typing. This will help with your
circulation as well as keeping your body moving. Leg stretches are also recommended while
working on the computer for long hours at a time. Move your legs in and out until you feel that the
leg exercises are working.
8. Do head and neck exercises when you can. Moving your head in circles every once in a while will
help you stay awake and motivated. You can also do shoulder exercises by moving your shoulders
in circles.
9. Exercise your buns. While sitting on the desk chair, tighten and release your buttocks several
times. This is recommended for those of you who work in a private or home office. If you are a
customer service representative, wait until there is nobody around or you will get weird looks.
10. Exercise your wrists. When you are not typing on the keyboard, do circular wrist exercises. This
will help you if you have temporary wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome.
11. Your desk is your bench – You can stay at your desk and still exercise – you could squat, or do
triceps dips, or even use it balance yourself when you stretch for exercise.
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