Honestly Easy Exercises You Can Do At Work
In this age when ladies can do the same things as men (and so much more!), we’re pretty sure you know someone who’s a single mom, working hard for her child; women, serving as their family’s breadwinner; and girl bosses, consistently making her way to the top.
Everything seems to be falling into place where, as Queen Bey put it, girls run the world.
Laudable as it may be, however, working our asses off can take a toll on our mental and emotional well-being. With the paper work piling up as well as reports and presentations rushing through deadlines, stress is inevitably a part of our lives.
The more we sit by our desks — perhaps even having lunch in front of our computers — the likelier it is for us to develop unhealthy habits. Do you lack sleep? Do you sometimes forget to eat because you’re just too busy? Yep, we figured.
Because of this, we’re recommending an age-old advice for all you, hard-workers. It’s easy to remember and it works effectively: Take a break.
And, no, we don’t mean getting yourself another cup of coffee (too much of anything is bad), lighting a cigarette (not healthy for you or the environment), or going to retail therapy (no need to spend!). What we want you to try, at least once, is to do some easy-peasy work-outs when you're in the office.
After all, our best investment — whether at work or in life — is ourselves.
Walk
You’ve learned this life skill since you’re one-year-old. Walking gets your heart racing without getting you sweaty and tired.
You can try walking from your work place to that restaurant five blocks away. You can also, for a change, use the stairs instead of the building elevator. Or, simply walk to the cubicle of a good friend and say hi.
What matters is to get you moving, somehow. What’s more: walking can help you be more focused at work.
Shoulder shakes
You may not notice this but being by the desk for a long time can leave you slouching. When work becomes too much to handle, it’s time to pause and put some loving attention to your shoulders, which carries the weight of the world for you.
Roll both your shoulders forwards then backwards in a slow, circular motion. Shrug them up, and down. Repeat five times, or until you feel them loosen up.
Wrist flexes
Long hours of typing and strolling can be harmful in the long run. A classic stretch for the hands and wrists is this: With your arm fully extended, pull the fingers of one hand back towards you using your other hand. Hold this pose for at least five seconds, then repeat the same steps on the other hand.
Spinal twist
If you’re too embarrassed to call attention to yourself because you’re suddenly doing stretches in the workplace, here’s one that’s stealthy! All you need is a chair.
Sit up straight, then turn your chest and abdomen to the right, without moving your lower body — as if trying to catch a glimpse of that co-worker behind you. With this pose, your left shoulder should be forward and the right shoulder back. Hold this pose for five to ten seconds, then repeat the same steps on the other side.
Leg lifts
This one’s simple, and you’re probably already doing it without knowing.
Sit up straight, with your toes pointing forward. Flex and lift your foot, one at a time. Make sure you’re doing a straight line with your leg. Hold for a few seconds, then do the same to the other leg.
I actually love this exercise because it stretches my calf muscles, all while still being able to check emails by my desk!
Reach your toes
Remember when we were children and we can easily reach our toes? Well, it turns out that years of being stuck all day in our chairs stopped us from doing just that.
Perhaps, it’s time to bring back the pride that comes with that body flexibility. What I personally do when taking a washroom break is to reach my toes.
Do it every day and soon, you’ll notice a difference.
Trying out these simple exercises won’t even take five minutes. So, whether you need to get that mood boost for a long day ahead or to simply take some time off your swivel chair, why not try working out and shaking the stress off in the comforts of your office desk!
