Exercise and Stay Fit Right at Your Office Desk:

Modern technology has given us many advantages and conveniences, but with one major drawback: most of us sit at the desk eight (or more) hours a day, five days a week, most of the year.

And unfortunately, the very thing that can make us productive, profitable, and successful employees for our company can also damage our health; perhaps even permanently.

Excessive sitting can be attributed to health ailments such as weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions. One (slightly more dangerous) study even found that people who sat up all day had a 40% increased risk of dying.

While we are not saying that your work will kill you, it is a good idea to take some simple steps to improve your health at work. An easy place to start: Just start shaking your body a little more on your table. If you’re working from a distance and looking for virtual ways to work out with your team, try planning an online fitness class for work.

Office work is a bomb in the days when you are tired and just want to be cool, but sitting for 40+ hours a week can put a lot of pressure on your body. Prolonged sitting reduces blood flow to your legs, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis, as well as diabetes, obesity and depression.

One study even found a direct link between sitting time and the risk of early death for any reason. Um, of course, yes, I know this, why it’s something known in advance. But what should you do when your work needs to be tied to the table?

Many experts recommend setting hourly reminders for getting up and walking around the office – whether it’s making a phone call (instead of sitting down to pick it up), drinking, or just walking aimlessly. A five-minute brisk walk can improve your mood, restore lost energy levels without losing focus, and seemingly more beneficial than taking a long walk.

Biking fan more than elliptical user? There is also an under desk machine. Deskcycle is another highly rated choice product from Amazon that lets you pedal on the spot. The patented magnetic resistance in the paddle says that you work easily and quietly so that you can focus on your work and not annoy your co-workers. The machine’s display shows time, distance, and calories burned, along with eight calibrated resistance settings, depending on how much challenge you want.

“We’re made to move, not to sit at a desk for 12 hours a day,” says John Price, author of The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book. “As ergonomic as your table or chair is, sitting causes back pain, headaches and numbness. You become less productive.”

Not to mention less … er, thin. The American Surgeon General recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week. Yet most Americans do not reach this level of activity. You know who you are: You are the woman who gets so stiff when she gets up from her desk that she walks for the first few steps like a robot. You are a man who suffers from recurrent motion injuries, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. You’re the one competing for the “Rock Star” parking lot near the door

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Triceps Dips

To do this, you will need a stationary (not wheeled!) Chair. Move to the front of the chair with both hands facing forward. Keep the palms flat on the chair, bend your elbows straight back, and lower yourself several inches straight, keeping your back as close to the chair as possible. Then straighten your arms to get back up to start.

Arm rings

This move gives a new meaning to the term “circle back”. Stand shoulder-width apart with legs apart, arms spread at right angles to shoulder height. Rotate your arms in a small backward circle.

Do this direction 20 times, change directions, and repeat.

A set of neoprene dumbbells to tone your arm muscles and bring your arm circles to the next level. (Squeeze the dumbbells as you come into the circle to change your workout muscle tension.)

Bonus: 7 minutes of exercise:

Get in shape with just about 7 minutes of exercise. This high-speed workout consists of 12 bodyweight exercises that target the entire body. Sequential exercises include jumping jacks, wall sits, push-ups, abdominal crunches, step chair, squats, triceps dips, plaque, high knees, lunges, push-ups with rotation, and side planks.

To perform the exercise, do the above exercises one by one for 30 seconds and rest for 10 seconds between each exercise. Check out the Vantage Fit app, which features a 7-minute workout that will easily guide you through the entire workout.

Standing rear pulses

If you’ve ever taken this class, the move may seem familiar – but your desk stands for a berry. Holding the edge of your desk for support, bend one leg behind you, bend the foot. Raise your heel a few inches, then release a little and press your foot straight behind you. Continue alternating between lifting your heel, then press it back.

Repeat 20 to 30 times, then switch sides.

Wall Seats

Slide your back against the wall until your hips are at the same level as your knees and your knees together at 90-degree angles. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds, then release.

Aim for 15 reps.

Sitting bicycle crunch

This is a good type of crunch time. Sit in your chair with your feet on the floor. Place your hands behind your head and raise one knee toward the opposite elbow, rotating your body downward, then return to the sitting, straight back position.

Finish 15 turns, then repeat on the other side.

Oblique turn

If you have a wheelchair, you’re in luck. Use this trick to your advantage with this oblique abs fix. Sit up straight and place your feet on the edge of your desk, hovering on the floor. Next, use the cover to rotate the chair from side to side.

Go back and forth 15 times.