Office gymnastics: a set of exercises. A set of exercises for the back that can be done right at the workplace. Exercises for the arms at the workplace.

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Nowadays, people spend a significant part of their life at work. But sitting at an office desk all day is unhealthy. WITH Among the problems that await office workers, the most noticeable are stiff pelvic and leg muscles, problems with joints (especially fingers), weakening of muscles, stagnation of blood in the pelvic muscles (most dangerous for women). So that you can keep yourself in good shape, we have collected 15 exercises that you can do without leaving your desk.

15 exercises you can do right at your office desk

We all have "too little time to exercise," but with these simple exercises you can do right in the office, you'll have no more excuses. Try them and you will start feeling better today!

1. Use a chair

Sit on an office chair and cross your legs. Straighten up, pull in your stomach and lift yourself up on your arms, leaning on the armrests. Do 5 sets of 10-20 seconds.

2. Do triceps push-ups

Stand with your back to the edge of the table with your legs together; Sit down with your palms on the edge of the table. Bend and straighten your arms to lower and lift. Great arm exercise!

3. Stretch your wrists

If you type a lot, you may be at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome. To reduce this risk, simply do this exercise every day. Stand near the table and rest your palms on it - your fingers should point inward. Lower yourself down until you feel your wrists stretch. Don't move for another 15 seconds.

4. Stretch your leg muscles

Sit on a chair (feet on the floor) and extend one leg in front of you; hold for two seconds. Raise your leg as high as you can and freeze again for two seconds. Do 15 sets on each leg.

5. Do back stretching exercises

Sit straight on a chair with your legs together. Raise your hands up. Place your left hand on the table and place your right hand behind your back, wrapping it around the back of the chair. Turn right. Freeze for 10 seconds. Repeat the movement in the other direction.

6. Stretch your shoulders

Sitting straight in a chair, place your left hand behind your back from below, and lift your right hand to the ceiling and throw it over your shoulder from above. Clasp your hands and stretch. If you can't bring your hands behind your back, train more.

7. Stretch your hamstrings

This exercise has many benefits: you stretch your hamstrings, lower back, and calves at the same time. Move your chair away from the table and put your leg over the chair. Straighten your leg and lie on it with your chest with your back straight. Freeze for 10 seconds. Repeat the movement with the other leg.

8. Knead your sides

Sit upright in a chair. Raise your left arm toward the ceiling and grab your left wrist with your right hand. Stretch your left arm to the right - you will feel the muscles in your left side stretch. Freeze for 10 seconds. Switch hands and repeat the movement.

9. Build those butts of steel!

To get your glutes working, squeeze them, hold for 10 seconds, and relax. Repeat as many times as you can.

10. Bend your knees

Stand at the back of a chair, holding onto it for balance. Bend your left knee towards your buttock, lower and repeat on the other side. Do 10 sets on each leg.

11. Stretch your arms

Sit upright in a chair with your feet on the floor. Place your hands as if “praying” in front of your chest. Squeeze your palms and feel the muscles stretch; hold your palms for 20 seconds, then relax and repeat as many times as you can.

12. Rotate your shoulders

Sit up straight and rotate your shoulders in circles, bringing your shoulder blades together. Repeat 12-15 times.

13. Don't forget about your neck muscles

Place your head in your hands in the “stressed office worker” pose. Place your palms on your forehead and press, tilting your head back; resist moving your neck muscles as much as you can. After this, place your palms on the back of your head and repeat the same in the opposite direction. Do 5 approaches.

14. Train your core muscles

If you have a swivel chair, you can use it while doing this exercise. Sit up straight with your feet off the floor and grab the edge of the table with your fingers. With strength and tension in your core muscles (using them more than your arms), rotate from side to side.

15. Rotate your feet

Train your ankle by rotating your weighted foot clockwise and counterclockwise. Repeat 3 times on each leg in each direction. An excellent exercise to prevent numbness in your legs.

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We are constantly looking for excuses for not exercising. One of them is that we don't have time for this because of work. Now you will have one less excuse, because the complex that we will show you today can be done even at your desk!

It includes 9 exercises that stretch the muscles, tone them and help avoid unpleasant back pain. The exercises work every part of the back, starting at the top and ending with the lower back. To this complex you can also add the same set of neck exercises that you can find.

Shrugs

This exercise works the upper back. Sit up straight and place both feet on the floor. The arms should hang along the body. Raise your shoulders toward your ears while keeping your neck straight. Pause for a moment and lower your shoulders back. Repeat several times.

Reduction of the shoulder blades

Sit upright with your feet on the floor and your arms extended along your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades together without lifting your shoulders. Pause for a second and pull your shoulders forward. This will stretch your shoulder girdle in the opposite direction. Repeat the exercise several times at a slow pace.

Shoulder rotations

Sit upright with your feet on the floor. Place your hands on your shoulders. Rotate forward a few times as if you were swimming. Repeat several times and do the same in the opposite direction.

Back crunches

Sit upright on the edge of a chair with both feet on the floor. Your knees should be parallel to each other. Place your hands behind your head and twist your torso to the right and then to the left. Repeat several times.

Lumbar arches

Sit upright on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands behind your head. Arch your back and look at the ceiling. The neck, shoulders and head should go as far back as possible, and the middle of the back should go forward. Repeat several times.

Seated Forward Fold

Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Bring your knees together and lean forward, resting your chest on them. Avoid rounding your back. You can help yourself a little by holding your shins with your hands. Stay in this position for as long as possible and return to the starting position. Repeat several times.

Side bends

Sit on the edge of a chair and place both feet on the floor. Keep your knees parallel to each other. Place both hands behind your head and tilt your torso to the left. Return to the starting position and tilt it to the right. Do not lean your back forward or backward. Repeat several times.

Cat-cow pose (Marjariasana-bitilasana)

Sit on the edge of a chair and place both feet on the floor. Your knees should not touch; place your hands on your knees. Extend the middle of your back forward, trying not to help yourself with your pelvis and shoulders. Then, round your back and stretch it back. Repeat several times at different paces.

Side bends

Sit upright on the edge of a chair. Place your hands on your knees. Bend your back to the left side, then repeat the same to the right side. Don't help yourself with your shoulders and pelvis. Repeat several times.

You can find a description of these exercises in the original

Office work is associated with great health risks: when sitting (and this is what office work is), incorrect posture develops, spinal deformities occur, blood supply deteriorates in all parts of the body, and excess weight increases.

Since a busy work schedule often leaves no time (both energy and desire) for playing sports after work, various gymnastic exercises have been developed for office employees. Such complexes are easy to perform and do not require much time, so it can be performed right at your workplace, spending literally 5-10 minutes on it.

Gymnastics for office workers is good because it allows you to quickly warm up the neck, lower back, thoracic spine, legs and arms (including fingers).

1 Who benefits from exercise at work?

The name “warm-up for office staff” does not at all imply that such a physical therapy system is intended only for office workers. It is useful for representatives of various professions who move little during the working day. Therefore, such complexes are often called “industrial gymnastics.”

This type of gymnastics is equally beneficial for men and women. It is advisable to do it at least three times a day for 5-10 minutes. If this is not possible, then it is recommended to do it as much as possible: even a few minutes daily will be more beneficial than inactivity.

Most of all, gymnastics will be useful for the following groups of people:

Office workers - programmers, accountants, technical support workers, editors, managers, and so on.
People who spend a lot of time at their desks at home - freelancers, readers, teachers (checking students' homework).
People who spend a lot of time standing - security guards, people handing out information brochures, teachers.
People who spend a lot of time sitting (excluding office workers) - janitors, cashiers, teachers, drivers.

To one degree or another, all people without exception need exercise. Including those who lead an active lifestyle (it is not always the foundation of good health).

1.1 Why is gymnastics necessary for sedentary work, and what diseases does it prevent?

When sitting on a chair for a long time, even with correct posture,... And most diseases of the musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular system are associated with muscle atrophy.

Gymnastics is aimed at eliminating this problem by strengthening muscle fibers and increasing the overall endurance of the body. The physical improvement of the body obtained as a result of regular gymnastics also affects cognitive abilities (a healthy mind in a healthy body).

If physical activity is at zero, then the functionality of all body systems may be disrupted. But the worst thing is that the heart and blood vessels will suffer - in inactive people the chances of such problems are much higher than in people with normal activity.

Regular exercises for the back and joints help to avoid the following problems:

thromboembolic disease (thrombosis, thrombophlebitis), varicose veins of the lower extremities and pelvic organs (and therefore prevention of varicocele);
arthritis and arthrosis, including ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis) and many other autoimmune joint diseases;
malignant neoplasms (statistically, approximately 60% of people with cancer, no matter what organ, have a history of sedentary lifestyle);
excess weight (obesity) is one of the main consequences of inactivity (and obesity is a provoking factor for the development of several dozen serious diseases);
atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, coronary heart or brain disease, strokes;
arterial hypertension and, what may seem surprising, hypotension (physical exercise simply stabilizes blood pressure, keeping it at a normal level);
decreased joint mobility;
a decrease in the resistance of the musculoskeletal system to stress (firstly, this will reduce the endurance of the body as a whole, and secondly, it will be easier for a person to get injured or get sick);
diabetes mellitus, iron deficiency and other anemias (due to the fact that physical education enhances metabolic processes);
chronic stress, depression, apathy, mood swings;
diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular dyspepsia, constipation, to some extent even stomach and duodenal ulcers (due to the fact that physical education enhances immune processes that fight Helicobacter Pylori);
osteochondrosis (especially of the cervical and lumbar spine), spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, intervertebral protrusions and hernias, scoliosis, postural disorders, deformities of the spinal column, chronic spasm of the spinal muscles;
knee diseases, night cramps, restless legs syndrome;
vasculitis, gravitational dermatitis (caused by venous insufficiency in the lower extremities), trophic ulcers.

2 How often should you do gymnastics at work?

Physical education does not like delays and unsystematic processes. This means that you need to study constantly and not miss certain days. Omissions are permissible, but for objective reasons and in small quantities.

It is very important to systematize the process and reduce it to a certain routine. You need to develop a strong habit of exercising every day, and preferably at the same time. Each person, depending on the amount of free time he has, as well as his physical fitness, needs to select a lesson plan individually (for himself).

This simple system can be taken as a basis. Every day during the working day, do gymnastics three times for 5-10-15 minutes. If you work out during lunch breaks for work, then do gymnastics before the meal, and not after (otherwise problems with the stomach and intestines cannot be avoided).

2.1 What exactly needs to be kneaded?

One of the most important questions: which specific areas of the body need to be warmed up? It is necessary to focus on the largest departments.

Let's go over them briefly:

The spinal column as a whole. Yes, you need to train all parts of the spine, but the main emphasis should be on the cervical and lumbar region. Why? These parts of the back are most exposed to stress during the day.
Fingers of the lower and upper extremities. If you spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, your toes will become numb and your fingers will experience large but uneven loads (if you type on a keyboard, for example). Therefore, they must be kneaded.
Lower and upper limbs in general (elbow, knee joints, muscles of the arms and legs). We stretch our arms so that they do not weaken: the muscles do not atrophy, the joints do not get used to the lack of movement. The legs need to be stretched first of all to prevent thromboembolic pathologies and varicose veins.
Shoulder and hip joints. Prolonged immobilization (immobility) literally leads to joint atrophy (the first sign is a grinding or crunching sound during movement coming from the joint area).
Muscle corset of the back and abs, chest. These muscles must be trained: they are much more important than the biceps and triceps, since they are the supporting pillar of the whole body.

3 Exercises at the workplace: which ones can you do?

What specific physical exercises should you do? There are several dozen effective and quick-to-perform exercises to choose from, but there is no point in describing them all. Particularly due to the fact that hardly anyone will have time to complete them during breaks between work.

Therefore, we have highlighted only the most necessary (basic) exercises that are easy to perform and do not require much time.

List of basic exercises:

lie on the floor, straighten up, hands behind your head - start lifting your body so that your legs do not leave the floor (abs training);
after the previous exercise, we move on to the next one - we lie flat, put our hands under our heads, raise our legs and begin to do a bicycle exercise (lower abs training);
stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart: tilt your body left and right, and then back and forth (training the back muscle corset);
stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, perform the triad: straighten your arms forward, then lift them up and spread them apart (this is what children are taught in kindergarten);
feet shoulder-width apart and keeping your back as straight as possible, do squats (while squatting, you need to straighten your arms forward);
we do classic push-ups, but without embellishment (that is, you don’t need to do them with your fists or on one hand);
stand straight next to the wall, rest your fingers against the wall, stand on tiptoes and start walking in one place, lowering and raising your foot (training the calf muscles, preventing thrombosis);
Do a minute-long shadowbox by simply punching the air with your fists (without weights) - a great way to both train and relax your arm muscles after a long period of stiffness.

If you can’t lie down on the floor (or don’t want to), then you can use the following complex, performed while standing:

Standing still, we stand on our tiptoes, raise our arms above our heads and stretch upward. In this way we will warm up and stretch the stagnant muscles of the shoulders, arms, abs, calves, and thighs.
While standing still, alternately bend your body in 4 directions.
From bending you can move on to rotating your body.
In a standing position, perform several rotations with your arms (at the shoulder joints) forward and backward.
Perform several rotations in the elbow joints in both directions.
Perform several wrist rotations in both directions.
Interlock your fingers and extend them with your palms in front of you.
Perform several head tilts in 4 directions. For greater efficiency, you can grab your head with your hands and gently pull it towards the tilt, stretching the muscles more.
While standing, perform several knee raises.
Do some squats.
Perform several calf raises.

In general, such a complex, if performed at a moderate pace and several repetitions for each movement, can take up to 5 minutes.

Exercises can be performed without getting up from your chair:

Raise your arms up and gently stretch.
Bend your spine back. In this case, you can rest your palms on your lower back and move your elbow joints back to stretch not only the back muscles, but also the shoulder muscles.
Perform head tilts in 4 directions.
Perform several tilts with your body to the right and left.
Extend your arms straight to the sides, then, without bending or lowering, raise them above your head. Then lower it again. Repeat several times.
Sitting on a chair, straighten your legs and place your heels on the floor. Pull your socks towards you, while at the same time gently try to straighten your knees (already straightened) more strongly. This will load the stagnant muscles of the lower leg and front of the thigh, and stretch the ankle and knee joint.
Place your feet on the floor on your toes and perform several rotations at the ankle joint. Alternatively, the leg can be raised and the foot rotated in weight.
While sitting on a chair, spread your legs out to the sides in front of you as far as possible. Gently lean your body forward without bending at the waist. This will stretch the groin muscles.

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Working in an office has many benefits, but sitting for long periods of time is harmful to your health and figure. A review of 47 scientific studies found that people who sit for long periods of time are more likely to suffer from cancer, type II diabetes, heart disease, and excess weight.

Good news: website I found 6 chair exercises for you that will help you feel cheerful and energetic. They can be performed right at your workplace.

Strengthens abdominal muscles, improves digestion, and also helps burn fat.

How to do it:

1. Sit on a chair. The back is straight, we do not lean on the back of the chair.

2. Place your feet on the floor in front of you, hip-width apart.

3. Keep your back straight. Raise your right knee and draw it towards your chest. At this time, the stomach reaches towards the spine.

4. Place your hands on your shins to better stretch your lower abs.

5. Do 20-30 reps, alternating knees.

In this position, all abdominal muscles work gently but effectively.

How to do it:

Bring your legs together.
Place your hands on the chair.
Keeping your back straight, lift your knees, bringing them closer to your chest. The abdominal muscles should tense at the same time.
Return your legs to the starting position, but do not let them touch the floor.
Do 10-20 reps.

Corrects the waist. Strengthened work of the lateral abdominal muscles helps remove fat folds on the sides.

How to do it:

Sit close to the edge of the chair with your back straight. Place your hands on the chair.
Bend your torso to the side, resting on one buttock.
Bring your legs together and lift your knees toward your chest as in exercise 2.
Return to the starting position. Repeat, leaning to the other side.
Do 10-20 reps on each side.

Helps burn fat on the sides and thighs.

How to do it:

1. Place your feet on the floor.

2. Straighten your arms to the sides at shoulder height.

3. Turn your upper body to the right side and lean forward, touching your left toes with your right hand. Hold this position.

4. Level up. Repeat the movement, touching the toes of your right foot with the fingers of your left hand.

5. Repeat 20-30 times, changing the direction of rotation each time.

Helps quickly burn fat and tone the muscles of the abdomen, back, and shoulders. To increase the load, you can do the exercise on a chair with armrests. The chair must have no wheels.

How to do it:

Sit on a chair and rest your hands on the armrests.
Raise your torso, lifting your hips and legs off the chair. At the same time, use your abs to lift your knees toward your chest.
Hold this pose for at least 15-20 seconds, then slowly lower and rest.
Repeat the exercise 4 times.

How to maintain good shape "without breaking sweat"

Working in an office forces many of us to lead a sedentary lifestyle, which is not the best for our health. When in the evening you realize that you have only gotten up from your chair a couple of times all day, it’s time to change your usual daily routine!

The modern rhythm of life does not always allow you to spend time on full-fledged training, so some exercises can be performed “on the job” - right at your desk. On average, you need to spend at least half an hour warming up during the working day and exercise, for example, 5 minutes every hour. Even for these 5 minutes of movement, your body will thank you! We will tell you what exercises will help you warm up while working in the office. This will help us Samantha Clayton, Olympian, member of the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), and Director of Fitness Education for Herbalife.

Warm-up

We gradually warm up all parts of the body, starting from the neck:

slowly tilt your head towards your shoulder;
hold for 10 seconds;
return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

make a circular rotation with your shoulders forward;
the same - back;
repeat 10 times.

Now let's stretch our wrists to prepare them for working at the computer:

extend your right arm forward, palm down;
With your left hand, grab the fingers of your right and pull them down, hold for 3 seconds;
then pull your fingers up, hold for 3 seconds;
perform 3 times for each hand in turn.

And with the last movements we’ll take the feeling of fatigue off our feet:

lift one leg off the floor, keeping it straight;
Bend your ankle, pulling your toe toward you;
now stretch your ankle, pointing your toe as far away from you as possible;
repeat 10 times and move to the other leg;
Next, draw a few circles with your toe, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, and change legs again.

In addition to warming up, at your workplace you can perform a series of simple but effective exercises that will work all major muscle groups.

Exercise 1: Chair Squats

Stand in front of a chair, take a straight body position and place your feet shoulder-width apart, and then lower yourself down as if you want to sit on a chair. However, you should not touch the seat - as soon as you are as close to it as possible, begin to slowly rise up. At the same time, keep your back straight with a slight arch in the lower back, and do not bring your knees beyond the line of your feet. And don’t forget to lock the wheels on the chair so that it doesn’t leave you during the exercise! Squats are the best, time-tested exercise for strengthening the muscles of the legs and buttocks.

Exercise 2: Leg Raises

Sit on the edge of a chair so that most of your thigh is hanging. With your toes pointed away from you, lift one leg. Hold it at the top until you feel a strong contraction in your abdominal muscles, then repeat with the other leg. Perform 5-7 lifts with each leg. This exercise works the abdominal and leg muscles, making them more toned.

Exercise 3: Reverse push-ups

Place your hands on the seat of the chair, extend your legs forward and bend your knees so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Then bend your arms and lower your body down, moving your elbows straight back (not to the sides). Having reached the bottom point, rise to the starting position. Don't forget that body weight should put stress on your arms, not your legs. These “reverse” push-ups will tone your triceps muscles and make your arms slimmer and stronger.

Exercise 4: Abdominal Strengthening

You can work on beautiful abs right in your office chair! To do this, sit comfortably, straighten your back, place your hands behind your head and lift your knee to your chest - with the same sensation that occurs when performing regular abdominal crunches. Try to touch your right knee to your left elbow and vice versa. This exercise will strengthen your muscles bark .

Exercise 5: Toned chest

This exercise helps keep your breasts firm and defined. It is convenient because its implementation is almost invisible to others. Sitting at your workplace, straighten your back, put your right hand under the table and press it with your palm to the tabletop. The left hand is on the surface of the table. In this case, the hands are not located under each other, but at a distance of shoulder width. Then simultaneously press as hard as possible on the tabletop with both hands, hold for 5-7 seconds and release. Repeat 5 times. It is important to ensure that the pressure of the hands is the same (that is, the muscles work evenly), and the back remains straight.

To make office fitness more fun, try motivating your co-workers to join you! It has been experimentally proven that movement during the working day not only avoids problems with the spine, blood circulation and joints, but also seriously increases productivity!

You will find even more effective exercises for the office in a fascinating video from Olympic participant, member of the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and Director of Fitness Education at Herbalife Samantha Clayton.

November 3, 2015, 14:22 2015-11-03

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