When the topic of work-related injury is brought up, most people automatically think of manufacturing or construction jobs. While industries that place more of an emphasis on physical labor can be hazardous, jobs that are more sedentary can also cause you physical harm.
Most employees remain ignorant of the health risks involved with remaining inactive. Did you know that more than four hours of screen time a day can increase your risk of health problems by fifty percent? Despite the fact that eight out of every ten employed Americans have a sedentary career, not many are aware that a number of injuries and disorders can stem from prolonged repetitive motion, poor posture and remaining seated in one position
At Future Fitness Centers, our Mission has always been to find the most goal-oriented fitness seekers and vitalize their efforts in reaching their fitness aspirations. We have a number of locations with knowledgeable trainers and a variety of more than eighty group classes to choose from. We even offer hot yoga in Hainesport, NJ, and have a pilates sign up in Moorestown. If you are actively trying to reach your fitness goals, but are stuck behind a desk every day, Future Fitness Centers can help you get back on track! We have compiled a list of the top ten exercises you can do at work to keep your body moving:
- Book Presses: Find the heaviest book (or laptop if you’re careful) and pick it up with both hands. Extend the book over your head, behind your neck, down your back as far as you can reach, and then back up over your head. Repeating this process will help work out your triceps!
- Chair Squats: Stand in front of your chair, push your hips back and bend your knees into a squat. When your thighs are almost parallel to the floor, push through your knees and hips to return to a standing position. Make sure to spread your feet about hip-width apart, keep your toes pointing forward, and use your core to keep your back straight. This exercise works out your quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.
- Wall Sits: Find a wall that doesn’t have anything obstructing its surface and stand with your back facing it. Bend your knees and slide down the wall until your thighs are parallel with the floor, making sure to keep your back flat against the wall at all times. Hold this sitting position for as long as you can, or for thirty-second intervals as many times as you can. You can work out your glutes, quadriceps, and calf muscles with this exercise.
- Desk Dips: Begin by sitting on the very edge of your desk (facing outwards) with your feet close together. Grip the lip of the desk with both hands, securely resting your weight on your palms to either side of you. Scoot forward so that your butt leaves the desk and you are able to bend your arms and dip your body down. Let your body drop and then raise yourself back up, making sure to stay in line with the front of the desk and parallel to the ground. This exercise is great for your triceps and biceps!
- Chair Swivels: If you are lucky enough to have a chair that swivels, you can use it to your advantage. Sit straight up in your chair with your feet poised just above the floor. Gently grasp the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb and engage your core muscles, swiveling your chair from side to side. This can work your abdominal muscles as well as those in your hips and waist.
- Leg Extensions: Keep your back straight and your torso at a right angle to your lap, lift your foot straight up until your leg is parallel to the floor, and bring it back down slowly before switching legs. This is a good exercise for quadricep work.
- Spinal Stretches: Sit in your chair with your feet just over shoulder-width apart and your hands with your palms on your knees. Lengthen your spine by sitting up as tall as you can, and then slide your hands down your legs until your fingers touch the floor (or further if you can manage) with your head down. Visualize yourself moving one joint at a time, as if your body is uncoiling. Repeat the opposite process going up. This is a stretch that helps relieve lower back pain and back pain in general.
- Hip Stretches: Start by sitting on the edge of your chair with your feet flat on the ground. Lift your ankle across your opposite thigh, resting it just above the knee. Sit up as straight as you can and then bend forward at the hips; hold this position for thirty seconds or longer and then repeat on the other side. This is an excellent stretch for hip and lower back pain.
- Neck Stretches: Hold your head in your hands with your fingers laced across the back of your head. Press your head into your hands and pull downward with your palms and arms (ever so slightly) to stretch the muscles in your neck and the back of your head.
- Shoulder Stretch: Sit with your spine straight and reach one hand over your shoulder and behind your back, with your palm facing in. Reach your other hand behind your back and up to your shoulder blades to grasp the fingers on your opposite hand. Pull and stretch your shoulders, rotating to get each side.
Anyone who has worked at a desk for eight-plus hours a day can understand how staying seated for such lengthy durations can lead to a sore body. At Future Fitness Centers, we care about your health and fitness! Don’t let the daily grind keep you from the healthy body you deserve; instead, just try a few of the exercises listed above.
If you are looking for yoga in Haddonfield, NJ or a gym in Washington Township, Future Fitness Centers has the facilities and trainers you need to get in shape and stay in peak physical health. With six locations across South Jersey, there is a Future Fitness Centers instructor or class perfect for nearly everyone looking to reach their fitness goals in New Jersey this summer.