Best Exercises That You Can Do At Your Desk in 5 Minutes – Or While Baby Naps!

The subject of lack of movement in our society has over the last years been increasingly prevalent in the media, on social platforms and posed a huge topic for healthcare professionals. In our technologically quickly advancing world a phenomenal percentage of the average person’s life is now sedentary and engaged with some form of digital activity, both in work and leisure.

However, both research and common sense agree that movement, in whichever form, is absolute key for good health and physical comfort. We know this so well – but with a busy schedule, possibly long hours behind a desk, a wheel, holding small children or driving older ones about, it can be quite difficult to follow all the good advice and get into an established exercise routine.

Osteopath Fenja Hansen suggests an in-between solution that will help you feeling moved and fresh throughout your day of sitting.

So here are some super-efficient at-your-desk or in the car-park stretches that will keep you going and also improve circulation to the brain – so you can carry on more efficiently with your tasks.

• 1^st minute: Shoulder Rotations – A great place to start to reset and get your head out of the laptop screen/windshield/baby’s hair and back onto your shoulders.

  

  
  

  Sitting at the edge of your chair, shrug your shoulders up and move them backwards, drawing circles with your shoulder blades and squeezing them further together at each circle. Repeat for 1 minute.

  
  

• 2^nd minute: Pec Stretch and Throat Fascia Stretch – This is a funky one but a super great stretch for the front of your chest, throat and jaw. It is under-appreciated how much load the front of the neck undergoes during prolonged sitting and how much pain-referral and headaches this area can cause.

  

  
  

  Sitting at the edge of your chair, clasp your hands behind your back and stretch the shoulders back for 30 seconds, pushing your chest forwards and breathing deeply.

  
  

  Then, holding this position, look up to the ceiling/sky and push your bottom jaw forward – think bulldog – and breathe deeply for another 30 seconds, increasing the stretch. You might be able to feel this one in the middle of your face where the neck fascia pulls on your head bones. (This is a good thing.)

  
  

• 3^rd minute: Spinal Twist – One to stretch all the fascia, muscles and joints throughout the spine in one go.

  
  

  

  Sitting at the edge of your chair, twist around with your upper body and grab hold of the back rest. If your haven’t got one, then reach behind you instead and hold onto your own hip. Breathe deeply and increase the stretch with each outbreath, holding the position for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

  
  

• 4^th minute: Mid Back Rotation – get your mid back moving, loosen up the shoulders, massage the lungs and get some circulation in to the system to help you feeling a little bit fresher in the head and body.

  

  
  

  Place each hand on the same side shoulder. Twist your elbows and upper body in one direction, then in the other. Get some momentum into your rhythm as you twist from side to side. You will feel this between your shoulder blades and possibly in your chest, especially if you use deep breathing during this exercise. Continue for 1 minute, then relax and feel the looseness in your spine.

  
  

• 5^th minute: Sitting Piriformis Stretch – A brilliant public-friendly stretch that does lots of things at the same time, targeting both your lower back, deep hip muscles, pelvic floor and hip joint.

  

  
  

  Sitting straight, place one ankle above (not on!) the opposite knee. Keeping your back straight, bend forward, aiming your chest to your shin bone. Don’t worry if you’re not going far! You are likely to feel this in your hip and bottom or also down your leg, depending where tightness is most pronounced.

  
  

  Relax into this, hold for at last 30 seconds whilst breathing and increasing the stretch with each out breath. Repeat on the other side.

If your symptoms persist, remember to seek professional advice.

For more info on how osteopathy may be able to help you, do contact me through my contact form, use the button above for WhatsApp or to give me a call, or DM me on any of my socials @heilkraftosteopathy.