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Simple ways to maintain fitness

Nowadays, due to desk jobs, many people experience fatigue, lethargy and pain in various parts of the body throughout the day. If you also work sitting at one place for a long time and are unable to find time to go to the gym, then there is no need to worry. You can keep yourself fit by doing some simple and effective exercises right on your chair.

Fitness expert advice

According to fitness expert and yoga instructor Sai Srivastava, by taking out just 5 minutes while sitting in the office, you can reduce serious problems like obesity, high blood pressure and stress to a great extent. You don’t need any expensive gym machines or equipment. Through short breaks in between work and proper stretching, you can avoid many diseases and increase your efficiency.

1. Seated Spinal Twist

This exercise helps in reducing the stress on your spine. Sit straight on the chair and keep your feet on the ground. Place your right hand on the back of the chair and slowly rotate your upper body to the right. Place your left palm on your right knee and give it a slight stretch. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds and then repeat the same process on the left side. This will reduce the stiffness of your back.

2. Shoulder Blade Squeeze

Sitting bent over causes the shoulders to sag forward. To improve this, sit straight and try to bring the bones behind your shoulders closer to each other, as if you are pressing something between them. Hold it for 5 seconds and then release. Repeat this 10 to 15 times. It corrects your sitting posture.

3. Desk Push-Ups

This exercise strengthens your back, abdominal muscles and hands. Stand two steps back from your desk. Place your hands on the edge of the desk, shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest toward the desk and then stand back up with the help of your hands. Do this 10 to 12 times.

4. Hip Flexor Stretch

Sitting causes the hip muscles to become stiff, causing lower back pain. To avoid this, stand up from your chair. Move one leg forward and keep the other back. Slowly push your hips forward until you feel a stretch in the top of the back leg. Wait for 20-30 seconds and then change legs.

5. Seated Cat-Cow Stretch

This is a simple method of yoga which makes your spine flexible. Sit on a chair and place your hands on your knees. While inhaling, bend your back forward and look upwards, this is called ‘Cow’ pose. Then while exhaling, round your back and put your chin towards the chest, this is called ‘Cat’ pose. Doing this 5 to 10 times gives relief to your back.

Other Benefits of Desk Exercises

Doing these simple exercises not only keeps the body healthy but also increases mental efficiency. When you move your body in between work, good hormones like endorphins are produced in the body, which reduce stress and irritability. This helps in concentrating on work and also reduces eye fatigue caused by computer screen. For good health, along with these exercises, keep drinking more water throughout the day and get up from your seat every two-three hours and do some stretching.