These desk exercises and stretches are easy to do at your desk. Following along with this 10-minute, real-time routine should help keep your muscles and joints moving throughout the day.
To start off, work your whole body and large muscles by doing a simple sit to stand movement. Put your feet about shoulder width apart, and stand up and sit down five times. Now while sitting, do a rotation stretch of the upper body to loosen up your spine. Turn one direction in your chair, and grab the back if you want a little more of a stretch. Hold these for about five seconds on each side. Do three on each side.
Next, you will stretch your forearm muscles. If you are typing a lot through out the day, these will hopefully feel really good. Start off with your arm straight out in front of you. Bring your wrists downward or into flexion. If you need more of a stretch, push down with the other hand. Hold for about five seconds and alternate sides. Now bring your wrists upward to stretch the opposite side.
The next exercises will be seated hip flexion. If you can roll your chair out from under your desk so you don’t hit your knees on the desk. Bring your knee upwards, and slowly come back down. You can alternate or do one side at a time. Do ten of these. Then you will kick your leg out to work your quad muscles. Kick your leg out until your knee is straight, and then pull your toes up towards you for a stretch. You can alternate or do one side at a time. Do ten of these.
Now you will stretch your buttocks muscles that you are sitting on all day long. Take the leg of the side you want to stretch, and cross it over the other leg just above the knee. This will look like a figure 4 if you are looking down at your legs. You might feel the stretch already, but if you don’t, keeping your back straight, bend forward at your hips. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, and repeat 3 times.
Finally, stretch and exercise your calf muscles to help prevent DVTs. With your feet on the ground, alternate lifting your toes, and then lift your heels. Do ten of these.
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