Gone are the days when we used to walk miles. Staying hooked to mobile phones and the internet, checking mails and completing office tasks, lounging and partying can leave us with very little time for a workout. But staying healthy is mandatory unless of course you are ready to make rounds of health care clinics and pay astronomical bills.
However, we aren’t asking you to take gym membership and hit the treadmill straight away. A little workout at your work desk can make you fitter and healthier.
“Work places have become extremely monotonous — the same screen, the same desk and the same keyboard and, most importantly, the same space,” says Sneha Gopalan a Zumba fitness trainer, adding that it not only makes the person mentally lethargic but physically too. She says that every individual must make it a point to work out at least for 20 to 30 minutes in office.
Kavita of K-fitness says that it is important to pay attention to physical health even if one is really busy with work. “Little efforts go a long way,” she says adding that it is always a good idea to exercise in whatever little time and space one has. “It can be as little as a stretch or a walk around the office, and can help you in the long run in keeping your weight in check,” she adds.
Both of them share some easy deskercises:
Knee hugger
Bend your knee, lift your right leg up and grab it with your arms and pull it as close to you as possible. Hold the position for 5 to 10 seconds, release and repeat with the other leg.
Squats
Get up from your chair and sit. Repeat 5 times. You can increase the number of squats as per your stamina.
Far reach stretch
Raise your right arm over your head and stretch out as far as you can go towards the left and gently towards the right with your left hand stretched over your head. Repeat the exercise as and when you get time.
Wrist stretch
Stretch your arm in front of you with the palm up. With your other hand grab your fingers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearms.
Leg exercise
While sitting on your chair, extend your right leg until it reaches the same level as your hip. Hold the position as long as you are comfortable. Repeat with the other leg.
Water bottle weights
Use a full water bottle as weight to increase the difficulty of your workout. You can do front raises, overhead presses and bicep curls with the bottle.
Neck exercise
Sit up straight and move your right ear down in the direction of your right shoulder. Now repeat with the left ear too. This exercise will help you relax your nerves around your neck.
Lunges
While walking take the widest step you can and lunge forward.
Calf raises
Standing in front of your desk or any sturdy furniture and holding on to it for balance, raise your heels off the floor and slowly lower them. Repeat the exercise 5 to 10 times.
Rope jump
Hop on both your feet at once or alternate, minus the skipping rope. Increase the speed and intensity by adding a bit of arm movements.
To stay fit ‘n’ trim
A list of things you can do to keep your weight at bay:
- Ditch the elevator. Make it a point to use the staircase
- Stand up at your bays or aisle while not working
- Go for a brisk walk during breaks
- Jog/ walk standing in one place if you cannot go out or move around
- If you have a cubicle of your own, indulge in yoga
- Avoid consuming sugary foods
- Make it a point to meditate
