The Office Workout

By Author: Chester Ku-Lea
Total Articles: 40
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Since many of us end up spending a good deal of time and energy sitting down in front of a computer and performing repetitive actions that can cause strain and injury, below are some important and simple ways that you can maintain strength and flexibility at the office. Be it a home office or away, these little tricks will help you avoid injury, backache and tension. Taking a small break every hour or so will go a long way to improving your productivity and keeping you free from injury.

If you work at a desk and spend a great deal of time typing, it is important to make sure you stretch out your wrists and forearms in order to prevent repetitive strain injuries. Extend your arm in front of you while looking at the back of your hand. With your extended hand perpendicular to your arm take the other hand and stretch your fingers towards you. Hold this position for approximately twenty-five seconds and repeat on the other hand.

With your hands in prayer mode and elbows bent fingers pointing towards the ceiling, gently bend the wrists to one side and then another. From left to right, repeat this subtle ...
... stretch about ten times.

To strengthen biceps and triceps there are also a few simple exercises which can be done with a full water bottle or something of equal size and weight. Take the water bottle and hold it out in front of you at shoulder height. Starting in this position with arms perpendicular to the floor take the bottle in both hands and extend it up towards the ceiling above your head. Once it is above your head keep extending it now with elbows bent backwards behind your head. This exercise will help target your tricep muscles. Give a little squeeze at the end of each motion and then repeat ten times.

To target your biceps take the water bottle in one hand and sitting up straight curl the bottle towards you in a traditional bicep curl. Arms begin at your sides and then curl up towards your chest. Do this ten times and repeat throughout the day. While a water bottle is not a significant amount of weight, the repetition will allow you to improve stamina and tone the muscles while at work.
In order to get at the lower body and increase leg flexibility, you can also lift legs while sitting up in your chair. While sitting tall hold one leg up at a time extending it at least five inches off the floor and flex your foot towards you. Hold the left leg here for five seconds and then repeat with the right leg. As you improve you will gradually be able to extend the leg higher off the floor and hold it for longer. When done correctly this movement will also engage your abs and help you to improve core strength.

In order to reach the inner thigh, place a coffee mug or other object between the legs just above the knees and squeeze legs together. Hold this squeeze for five seconds and then relax and repeat.

Walking around the desk a few times will also help keep your muscles loose and flexible. Doing exercises such as these every so often will actually help keep your body and brain in better shape. Taking five minutes now and then will save the company money in the long run by preventing injuries and improving employee productivity. Taking this initiative to improve you own health and fitness on the job should be a source of pride to any employers who haven't yet implemented a workplace fitness regime. Keeping yourself strong and fit will make you a better employee and a better candidate for taking on increased responsibility.
Chester Ku-Lea is a health nutrition consultant and is the owner of AstroNutrition.com - a provider of premium health nutrition and sports supplements. Check out our blog at AstroNutrition.com/blog.