At-Home Desk Exercises You Can Do Quickly While Sitting
These efficient moves will break up the monotony of the day, as well as the buildup of bad tissue.
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Before you sit, think about how much harm you may be doing to your health. Nearly 70 percent of full-time workers hate sitting, but 86 percent do it anyway, according to a survey. Between your neck tilted downward staring at your phone or computer screen or your shoulders hunched over while typing, being tied to your desk all week can take a massive toll on your posture, focus and health.
Keeping mobility in your spine and hips is crucial. Bad fascia builds up like scar tissue in the body when it’s not in motion, creating stiffness and poor posture.
“Work used to include more physical activity, now it mostly consists of sitting,” says AntiGravity Fitness Founder Christopher Harrison. “Remember that your hip girdle is meant to tilt, and if you don’t use it, you will lose it. You are only as young as your spine is flexible and your mind is open.”
Take a break. Get up and walk around. If you’re stuck on a call or need a little bit of alignment adjustments, give these exercises a try that Harrison suggests.
Hip Tilts
Arched Tilt
Sitting tall with hands on knees, stick your belly out. Tugging gently with your hands, pull your belly button down towards the floor, forcing the hips to tilt forward and the lumbar spine to arch.
Concave Tilt
Relax your hands. Contract your spine, and pull your belly button in towards your back, rocking into a concave position with your lumbar spine.
Spinal Undulation
Sit tall on the edge of your chair with your hands on your knees. Press your chin to your chest and roll down through your spine, articulating every vertebra. When you get to the bottom (head to desk), stay there, and pull the navel in while contracting the spine for three deep breaths.
Spinal Twist
Place your right leg over your left. Reach your left arm under your right knee. Twist your chest to the right and reach your right arm behind your chair. Look over your right shoulder. Hold for three deep breaths. Repeat on the other side.
