This article originally appeared on Oxygen
If you’re like most Americans, you spend most of your time sitting in a chair. In fact, our work-saturated society has only become more stationary, with sedentary desk jobs increasing 83 percent since 1950, according to research from the American Heart Association.
Even when we’re not at work, we spend a lot of time planted in front of our electronic devices: our televisions, our tablets, our smartphones. “With the continual and ever-changing rise of technology and the immediate gratification at the click of a button, it can sometimes be a challenge to remember to move our bodies and get the blood flowing,” he says. melanie cotcherHIIT Pilates instructor and AFAA certified wellness coach.
Although it is extensive sedentary behavior it can certainly reduce our exercise efforts, it can also have other negative effects on our health. A study published in the journal Medicine and science in sports and exercise it even linked sedentary behavior to a 37 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Another study, published in the same dailyfound a connection between sedentary behavior and Type 2 diabetes.
Exercise, even stationary exercise, can go a long way toward reducing the risk of several of these diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and even cancer, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Strength exercises, in particular, have been shown to be particularly beneficial for general health and well-being, including building muscle mass and increased endurance — and most don’t require you to move from one place to another.
Here, fitness pros share sneaky strength exercises to do while stuck at your desk.
1. Chair immersion
If you have a chair, you can do this simple but effective exercise that focuses on your triceps musclesthe back of the arms (a stubborn place for fat to fester), as well as the core, legs, and glutes, according to Stephanie Georgecertified yoga instructor and personal trainer.
How: Sit on the edge of your chair with your back straight. “Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and while keeping your back flat and core engaged, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body as if you were going to sit down,” explains George. . “Stop just before you make contact with the chair, hold for at least 30 seconds, and return to standing.”
2. Chair squat
Similar to chair dips, this strength exercise is a play on the classic squat. It will strengthen your legs and glutes, and while it’s a bit less flashy than the other exercises, it’s a great way to get in a little strength training while you’re at work,” he explains. Caleb BackeCPT, Maple Holistics health and wellness expert.
How: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your hips and toes pointed straight ahead. “Evenly distribute your weight on the balls of your feet and heels as you push through the bottom and into a squat,” says Backe. “As you squat, make sure to keep your knees and feet in line to avoid injury, and hold for a few seconds before coming back to your feet.” He recommends doing this 10 to 15 times as a series, and several more times throughout the day.
3. Figure 4 seated
While this is often seen as a stretch, George finds that it can be an effective strength exercise to do while stuck at your desk. “The seated figure 4 helps open up the hips and relieve lower back pain caused by tight hips,” she says.
How: “Sit upright in your chair with your right foot planted firmly on the floor in front of you and your knees bent at 90 degrees,” she says. “Lift your left foot off the ground and place the outside of your left ankle over your right knee, flex your left ankle slowly, keeping your back flat, and rotate forward at your hips until you feel a stretch in your left hip. .” She recommends holding this position for 30 seconds before switching legs.
4. Calf raise
Ready to strengthen your calf muscles? With calf raises, you don’t even have to stop working while doing it!
How: “Standing at your desk, raise your heels until you’re on your toes and stay there for a few seconds until you come back down,” says Backe. You can repeat this as many times as you like, but he recommends doing a minimum of 30 increases.
5. Sit on a stability ball
While not necessarily an exercise in terms of “reps,” swapping out your standard chair for a stability ball is a great way to sneak into a strength workout. Kotcher recommends alternating between a work chair and a stability ball (or even standing) to engage her core, which she says is beneficial for spinal health and posture. “It’s also important to remember to keep your shoulders back and down and your neck relaxed, as we also have a tendency to stick out, especially when looking at a computer screen,” she adds.
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