5 desk friendly exercises to get rid of muscle tension

Sitting for long periods at the desk can take a toll on your health. Yes, you can wake up at 5 o’clock in the morning and hit the gym, but that’s not possible if you are up late working on a presentation. With work from home, it has become more difficult to bring yourself to stand up and work out. This lack of activity will not only affect your health but impact your work performance as well. 

Sitting all day can increase the risk of obesity, back pain, leg cramps, muscle pain, poor posture and lead to low work productivity. When you exercise, you use your muscles and bones to keep your heart pumping. If you think you don’t get enough time to exercise amid the constant work pressure, then you can try some desk exercises for a few minutes to improve your body’s flexibility and strength. 

Here are 5 exercises you can do at your desk. 

Begin with diaphragm breathing 

Diaphragm breathing will help to relax the muscles, lower heart rate and blood pressure. It will also help relieve stress by reducing the harmful effects of cortisol, the stress hormone. 

Shoulder Stretch 

These stretches are effective for anyone who experiences shoulder pain. Known as the chest opener exercise, it opens up the chest and strengthens muscles from the mid to the upper back. It also creates a free space around the heart. 

Neck stretches 

Long hours of sitting can contribute to the accumulation of tension in your neck muscles. To get rid of it, you can do some arm stretches to get the blood flowing. These might be very simple to do, but they are very effective. 

Wrist stretches 

Do you use your computer a lot? If so, these wrist stretches might help you avoid wrist pain. Flexing and rotating your wrists will stretch the tendons and restore the range of motion in the joint. 

Seated leg raises 

This exercise will help you work on the thighs, glutes and abdomen. It will help strengthen the legs as well. Make sure your posture correct to reap the benefits.