If you work from home, you know the dreaded feeling. Mid-afternoon hits and suddenly your neck feels tight, your lower back starts to complain and you have a mild tingling sensation running down your arm.
While you might have the intention of going out for a run or hitting the gym between calls, the reality of a busy schedule often means that you’re glued to your desk all day.
So here’s the great news. What if you could get some exercise in without ever having to leave your desk. Sounds too good to be true, right? Your office chair shouldn’t mean you’re confined to one position, and if you’re sitting in a well-engineered, ergonomic office chair, you can actually use it as a tool to stay supple and keep moving.
We’ve spent 45 years studying how people sit, and we know that micro-movements are the secret to staying comfortable during a long shift. Using your chair for exercise enables you to perform controlled stretches and low-impact movements that tackle the desk ache without upsetting your schedule or leaving the house.
By incorporating a few quick movements into your day, you can boost your energy levels and sharpen your focus. Don’t think of it as a full-blown gym session; the below exercises aren’t going to massively increase your heartrate. Instead, think of it as an efficient way to stay limber that prevents you from feeling like a statue by 5pm.
Office chair exercises you can easily do at home
So how exactly can you use your current work-from-home setup to exercise? These office chair exercises should give you everything you need to get started!
Neck rotations
You might be familiar with the neck pain that comes with working at a desk, particularly if your office chair isn’t supporting your spine the way it should or you’re frequently looking down at your screen.
To relieve neck pain throughout the day, you can try these neck rotations. Start by sitting up straight and dropping your shoulders. Then, slowly rotate your head from side to side. Gently tilt your head so your ear moves towards your shoulder and repeat on the other side.
It’s an easy way to release the pressure that builds up from staring at a screen all day.
If you suffer from frequent neck pain, then it’s worth assessing your work station to see if it’s as ergonomic as it could be. Your monitor should be at the correct height, and your chair should have lumbar support that sits in the small of your back to assist with good posture.
Shoulder shrugs
A lot of people hold tension in their shoulders without even realising it, and so these shoulder shrugs could help you.
While sitting in your chair, keep your arms loose and lift your shoulders up towards your ears. Hold it for a second, and then let them drop completely beside you. Repeat this several times to reset your posture and remind your muscles that it’s okay to relax.
Seated leg extensions
These extensions are a great office desk exercise that could give you the energy lift you need in the afternoon.
Sit in your office chair and straighten one leg out in front of you, holding it in the air for a few seconds. Lower it back down and then repeat with the other leg. This exercise can wake your quads up and keep the circulation moving in your lower body, all without interrupting your typing.
Desk push-ups
This exercise requires a little more strength, but can be great for your arms and your core. Before attempting this one though, check your desk is stable enough to hold your weight!
Stand up and place your hands on the edge of your desk, positioning them slightly wider than the width of your shoulders. Your legs should be completely straight, so you may need to angle them correctly before you start.
Once you’re in position, bend your arms to lower your chest towards your desk and then straighten them out to lift yourself back up. Repeat as many times as you think necessary.
Chair squats
It’s just as important to stretch out your legs as it is your core and back, so these squats are the perfect office desk exercise to do just that.
Lower your hips as if you’re about to sit down but stop just before your bottom touches the seat. Hold the position for a moment and then stand back up. This exercise works best when your chair has armrests that you can use for extra support.
During a quick break, doing this is a great way to fire up your glutes and legs.
Torso twists
Our final chair exercise is the torso twist. Sit with your feet flat on the floor and place your right hand on the back of your chair or the armrest and gently twist your upper body to the right. Hold the position and then repeat on the left.
After this exercise, you should really feel the relief in your back.
According to Kerrie-Anne Bradley, who is a Pilates and alignment expert, author of Move More at Your Desk,and founder of the Move At Your Desk MethodTM.
“Many Pilates exercises can be adapted to the chair – from spinal mobility work to abdominal strengthening. You can do roll downs, pelvic tilts, rotations, planks (with the
chair secured), sit-to-stands (squats), seated lunges, you could even keep light weights at
your desk and do arm exercises!”
Exercise is a great way to break up the day, but it’s only one part of the puzzle. To really look after your body while working from home, you need a foundation that supports you properly.
Our office chairs are designed to support your posture from the first email to the final log-off. After all, if you’re going to be moving, stretching and working in one place, you should be doing it in a chair designed for the job.
