Prolonged sitting during a full day of work is a common cause of lower back pain for many people. Therefore, staying active with exercises at the office is important.
Exercise is not only an activity you do in your free time, but also something that can be incorporated into your workday.
However, unlike intense workouts at the gym, these exercises involve simple and light movements designed to stretch different parts of your body.
These movements prevent pain caused by a lack of movement or repetitive movements that lead to overuse in certain areas.
Stretching also improves blood circulation, allowing your organs to function properly.
Since it is important to stay active at work, there are many light and easy exercises you can do between tasks. Let’s try the following tips!
Office Exercise Movements
If you work in an office, it is probably not uncommon to experience pain in your back or neck.
Spending long hours at your desk often means getting too little movement and spending extended periods sitting down.
However, this habit can also increase the risk of various health issues, such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Although the effect may not be experienced immediately, this risk may develop over time.
Therefore, try the following tips to keep your body active between tasks.
1. Neck Stretches
Neck pain and stiffness are the most common conditions when you sit for long hours, especially if your desk position is not ergonomic.
To help prevent this, you can stretch your neck to improve flexibility and reduce stiffness.
You can start by sitting upright on your chair and raising one arm over your head.
Then, gently pull your head toward your shoulder until you feel a light stretch in your neck muscles.
Hold for about 10–15 seconds, then repeat on the other side using your opposite hand.
Additionally, you can also stretch your neck muscles by gently nodding or turning your head side to side slowly.
2. Shoulder Rolls
In addition to the neck, the upper arms and shoulders often become painful after a full day of work.
Particularly if you spend a lot of time using a computer or laptop, your shoulders may feel heavy and tense.
To relieve it, you can try simple shoulder rolls as an easy office exercise alternative.
The following are some steps:
- Take a deep breath while raising your shoulders in a circular motion.
- Hold the raised position for a few seconds, then slowly lower your shoulders.
- Repeat the movement several times.
3. Leg Stretches
The next office exercise is a leg stretch. This workout is easy and simple, you only need to sit back in your chair while holding onto the sides for support.
Lift one leg and extend it straight out several times. Then, bend it back to the starting position. Repeat the same steps with the other leg.
Do this movement 5–10 times for each leg. This helps improve strength and flexibility after long periods of inactivity.
4. Back Stretches
Back stretch is one of the office exercises to prevent pain after sitting for long hours.
Furthermore, this type of stretching helps improve blood circulation throughout the body.
So, how to do it? First, sit upright at the edge of your chair.
Extend both legs forward, then bend your body to reach your right toes with your left hand.
Hold this position for 10–20 seconds. Afterward, return to an upright position.
Repeat the same steps to reach your left toes using your right hand. Do the movement alternately several times.
5. Upper-Body Stretch
Another office exercise you can do is an upper-body stretch.
This movement focuses on the back and arms to improve both flexibility and reduce pain.
Here are the steps for an upper-body stretch.
- Start by sitting upright in your chair while keeping your back supported.
- Raise both arms overhead and stretch them as high as possible.
- Then, lean your upper body to the right while reaching across with your left arm.
- Hold this movement for 10–30 seconds.
- Repeat the same steps on the other side, alternating between both sides.
6. Body Twist
Next, try an office exercise by twisting your body to stretch the lower back and abdominal muscles.
To do this, you only need to sit upright. Then, place your left hand on the right side of the chair back and gently twist your upper body in the opposite direction.
Make sure your neck is in a neutral position while your eyes gaze forward. Repeat the movement in the opposite direction (right) using your other hand.
7. Desk Upward Dog Pose
The desk upward dog pose is an office exercise adapted from yoga, aimed at improving spinal flexibility and mobility.
The steps are easy. First, bend your body to form a 90-degree angle, similar to the rukuk position during salat.
Meanwhile, extend both arms forward and hold onto the edge of the desk so they are aligned with your back.
Push your hips slightly forward while opening your chest between your shoulders. Then, gently lift your chin upward. Hold for 10–15 seconds.
8. Sit-to-Stand
Another office exercise is the sit-to-stand movement. You simply sit and stand repeatedly, without the need for your hands.
Start by sitting upright with your knees bent at 90 degrees, then stand up straight. At the same time, extend your arms forward and keep your spine relaxed.
Afterward, slowly return to a seated position. Make sure your body does not lean too far forward or shift out. Repeat the movements 5–10 times.
9. Walking
Lastly, you can also take short walks around the office hallway. Try to step away from your chair or desk for some time and take a gentle walk.
In addition to keeping your body active, this can give your eyes a break. However, you still need to ensure that walking around the room does not disturb your colleagues’ work.
Those are some office exercise tips you can follow between tasks. You can do those movements every 20–30 minutes to give your eyes a break. Try shifting your gaze to distant objects or closing your eyes several times.
Additionally, do not forget to drink enough water to prevent dehydration. This helps your body to function properly. This habit is also important if you are spending hours at your office.
On the other hand, staying hydrated helps improve blood circulation, preventing you from feeling fatigued easily.
For this reason, you can prepare high-quality drinking water like AQUA at your desk. AQUA is a high-quality mineral water with maintained purity for more than 49 years.
Through 400 quality tests, the nature and purity of AQUA are well-assured. Let’s drink #AQUADULU and enjoy the freshness in every drop!
