Deskercise: Simple Exercises You Can Do At Your Desk
In today's fast-paced world, many of us spend long hours sitting at our desks, which can take a toll on our physical health. However, with a little creativity and commitment, you can incorporate simple desk exercises into your daily routine to keep your body moving and your mind sharp. This article will share some simple exercises and other tips to keep you feeling your best during those hours of desk bound work.
In today's fast-paced world, many of us spend long hours sitting at our desks, which can take a toll on our physical health. However, with a little creativity and commitment, you can incorporate simple desk exercises into your daily routine to keep your body moving and your mind sharp. This article will share some simple exercises and other tips to keep you feeling your best during those hours of desk bound work.
Why are desk breaks important:
Sitting for prolonged periods can lead to a host of health issues, including muscle stiffness, poor posture, and decreased energy levels. That's where deskercise comes in! By taking quick breaks and engaging in desk exercises throughout the day, you can combat the negative effects of sitting, boost your energy, and improve your overall physical and mental well-being.
Simple Desk Exercises:
Neck Stretches: Begin by gently tilting your head to one side, holding for a few seconds, and then switching to the other side. Repeat several times to relieve tension in your neck muscles.
Shoulder Rolls: Roll your shoulders forward in a circular motion, then reverse the movement to roll them backward. This exercise helps alleviate stiffness and promotes relaxation in your shoulders.
Seated Spinal Twists: Sit up tall in your chair and gently twist your torso to one side, using your chair's armrest or the back of your chair for support. Hold the stretch for a few breaths, then repeat on the other side.
Chair Squats: Stand up from your chair and lower yourself back down as if you were going to sit, but stop just before your bottom touches the chair. Push through your heels to stand back up. This exercise engages your leg muscles and helps combat the effects of sitting all day.
Leg Raises: While sitting, straighten one leg out in front of you and hold for a few seconds before lowering it back down. Repeat with the other leg. This exercise strengthens your leg muscles and improves circulation.
Desk Push-Ups: Stand facing your desk and place your hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the desk. Lower your chest towards the desk, then push back up to starting position. This exercise targets your chest, arms, and shoulders.
Incorporating “Deskercise” into Your Routine:
Set a reminder on your phone or computer to take regular breaks throughout the day. Aim to incorporate these exercises into your breaks or during meetings to keep your body moving and your mind fresh. Remember to listen to your body and modify exercises as needed to suit your individual fitness level and any physical limitations.
Additional Tips for Desk Health:
In addition to desk exercises, consider optimizing your workstation for better ergonomics. (Click here to read a previous article we published on ergonomics) Adjust your chair height, keyboard position, and monitor height to promote proper posture. And don't forget to take regular breaks to stand up, stretch, and move around throughout the day.
With these simple desk exercises, you can turn your sedentary workday into an opportunity to stay active and prioritize your health. Start incorporating these into your daily routine today and feel the difference it makes in your physical and mental well-being. If you're ready to take your health to the next level, click here to schedule an appointment with us at one of our convenient Easewell Chiropractic locations in Atlanta. Let’s Cultivate True Health.
5 Health Benefits of a Regular Yoga Practice
Yoga is a form of exercise that has been around for centuries and provides numerous health benefits. Practicing yoga regularly can help improve not only your physical strength and flexibility, but also, and just as important, your mental wellbeing. It can reduce stress levels, improve sleep quality, and even help with weight loss. In this inaugural post, we will discuss five health benefits of practicing yoga regularly.
Yoga is a form of exercise that has been around for centuries and provides numerous health benefits. Practicing yoga regularly can help improve not only your physical strength and flexibility, but also, and just as important, your mental wellbeing. It can reduce stress levels, improve sleep quality, and even help with weight loss. In this inaugural post, we will discuss five health benefits of practicing yoga regularly.
Yoga Increases Flexibility and Strength: One of the primary benefits of doing yoga regularly is increasing flexibility, strength, and muscle tone in your body. Yoga helps strengthen muscles in your body as well as increase coordination and joint mobility due to its various postures. When you regularly practice yoga, you can easily see the physical benefits when you are able to twist yourself into a pretzel or bend over with your head on your knee with no problem at all.
Yoga Keeps Your Heart Healthy: We all know that exercise is imperative to keep your heart healthy and strong. Yoga is a type of exercise that does not require any special equipment or facilities, so it is incredibly accessible for people of all levels of ability and means. While it may look like you’re not doing enough (like those bootcamp classes), do a few one breath, one movement sun salutations, and I promise you’ll feel the heat rise in your body and your heart pumping.
Yoga Can Help with Stress: One of the best forms of exercise for decreasing stress, yoga can reduce anxiety and depression, improve your mood. When we are caught up in a stressed out state, yoga gets us out of our head and brings us back into our body and helps us feel grounded. Being in our body is crucial in regulating our nervous system. When you are holding a challenging yoga posture and breathing into it, you are training your body to manage stress. This can also help manage symptoms of chronic pain because it improves your body's ability to focus on a single point while calming the nervous system.
Yoga Helps Improve Sleep: According to the CDC, more than 1/3 of Americans do not get the proper amount of sleep. Yoga has been shown to not only improve sleep quality, but also improves motivation and mood during the day. If you are having trouble sleeping, consider trying a modified version of yoga poses, like these, in order to help calm your mind and body so you can sleep more soundly
Yoga Increases Our Sense of Self-Awareness and Connection to Ourselves: To learn more about yourself, you first have to be mindful and take a step back from your busy life. The best way to do this is by doing yoga regularly. Yoga practice allows us to get in touch with our physical bodies in a very intimate way. By practicing regularly, we learn to meet our body where it is physically, and provide it what it needs. We also learn a lot about ourselves mentally through practicing yoga. We learn how our mind responds to physical stressors. We learn to nurture ourselves mentally and physically.
If you would like to explore the health benefits of yoga for yourself, check out our friends at Be Hot Yoga Atlanta.