There’s no doubt about it- Humans are not meant to sit for 8 hours a day at a computer. I know by personal experience that over the past year of having a “desk job”, I have gained over 10 pounds. It is recommended that you get up and get the blood flowing through your body at least 10 minutes out of every hour, but there are those days where you just get swamped and can’t tear away from the computer. Fortunately, there are many small but effective exercises you can do at your desk to keep your body from turning into a zombie.
Keep your posture aligned and your core strong: Sit on a balance ball. As you sit in your desk chair for long periods at a time, your muscles relax and this transmits more pressure to your disks and joints. Try sitting on a stability ball for twenty minutes out of every hour. This can improve your stability and balance, engaging your core muscles and strengthening your back. Posture is Important while sitting on the Stability ball, make you’re creating ninety-degree angles at your knees and hips, so that your hips are even with your knees, your back and legs are perpendicular to the ground, and your feet are resting squarely on the floor.
Stretching: Make sure your muscles know you did not forget about them! Take your shoulder blades and bring them back and as close together as you can, hold for five seconds, and release. Another good way to stretch is to bring a resistance band and tie it around one of your back desk legs. There are a number of ways you can use the resistance band, found HERE.
Move those legs! Doing simple leg lifts while sitting at your desk can keep the circulation flowing, and prevent you from feeling like jelly every time you stand up! Tapping your foot for long periods of time can also burn up to 350 calories a day!
Having a healthy body also helps you to have a healthy mind. It is important to “sharpen the saw”. Taking a little break or utilizing your environment can help distress the workplace and help your curves. Are you up to the office work out?

