Photo: joshua m. neff / Flickr

If you find yourself office bound all day, you may begin to feel like a zombie unless you take regular breaks. Combine regular breaks with some easy exercises during your working day and you’re bound to feel re-energised. Here we share a few simple exercises that you can do at your desk. They won’t take more than two to three minutes of your time but to get the best effects, do them on the hour, every hour.

Loosening up

The first exercise will help you to loosen up: sit in your chair, put your hands in your lap, close your eyes and relax your shoulders. Breathe in and out slowly and deeply. Now shrug the tops of your shoulders up towards your ears – shrug them as high as you can. Now pull them down as low as you can. Repeat this exercise 10 times.

Stretching and relaxing desk exercises

Position your palms across the back of your head so that they are just above your neck. Push your head ever so gently in order to push your chin down. You should feel a stretch at the back of your neck. Hold the stretch for ten counts.

Place your elbows on the arms of your chair and lift your forearms a little. Completely relax your hands, fingers and wrists. Circle your hands in this ‘floppy’ state in a clockwise direction 10 times. Do another 10 circles in an anti-clockwise direction.

To ease tension in your lower back, slump forwards in your chair, while allowing your arms to hang loosely.

Re-energise

Complete your desk exercises by marching on the spot while you are sitting on your chair. Raise your knees a few inches from the seat while flexing your feet. You should feel a stretch in your calves. By now you should feel a whole lot more energised.

Once you’ve completed your desk exercises, stand up and walk around your desk or the office. If you have the time and the inclination, walk up and down some stairs. You’ll get back to your desk and be able to concentrate in a whole new way.

Tags: exercise