5 easy stretches and exercises to do at your desk

Exercise can be so simple to integrate into your day – even if you have a desk job. Here are some easy exercises that will keep your blood flowing through the day, creating more freedom in the body and burning some calories.

 1. Neck stretch

Bring your right ear towards your right shoulder. Relax your left arm down by your side and use your right hand to press gently onto your left ear – inviting a stretch along the whole left side of your neck. Take a few breaths, then slowly and gently return back to centre before repeating the exercise on the other side.

2. Twist

From your chair, bring your right hand behind you (perhaps taking hold of the back of your seat). Take your left hand to your upper right thigh. As you inhale, lengthen your spine, then exhale and twist, drawing your lower belly in and looking out over your right shoulder. Use your exhalations to deepen into the twist. This is a great exercise for massaging your internal organs and strengthening your spine.

3. Hip opening exercise

Sitting in your chair, take your right anklebone to rest onto your upper left leg. Kick out through your right heel as you gently encourage your right knee to move down. You should feel a stretch into your right hip and glute – areas that become very restricted when sitting in chairs.

4. Glute-squeeze

Squeeze your glutes together as much as you can. Hold for up to 30 seconds then release. Repeat as many times as you like.

5. Push-ups

Rest your hands on the edge of your desk with your fingers facing slightly inwards. Walk your feet back as far as you need to draw a straight line from the crown of your heads to your heels. With your heels lifted and your toes on the floor, bend your elbows into a push-up, keeping your chest open. Do three rounds of ten. To modify, walk your feet closer to your desk, bringing the heels down.

 Click here for more easy ways to incorporate exercise into your work day.

Jessica Humphries

Writer, Editor, Yoga Teacher

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Jessica Humphries is a yoga teacher and writer who has written for many health and wellness publications, as well as enjoying the role of editor for Australia’s biggest yoga magazine. After studying philosophy at university and enjoying a stint in the corporate world, she left Sydney and moved north in pursuit of life in the slow lane. When she’s not writing, she leads a wholesome, holistic and active life in the Northern Rivers, around the corner from Australia’s health and wellness capital, Byron Bay.