A 9-5 office desk job is awesome if your feel weary and just want to do work whilst sitting. However, the reality is that a sedentary lifestyle for 30 or 40 hours a week or even more, can put serious stress on your body. Sitting for an extensive duration of time can decrease blood flow in the legs which can cause health problems like diabetes, obesity, heart diseases and also mental health conditions.
If your job requires you to be glued to a desk and a computer, there are some exercises that can help you stay fit without having to get up from your office chair.
Some experts suggest setting an hourly reminder to get up and take a walk in the office, while taking a call, grabbing a coffee or just a short walk in the lobby. These little bits of movements can improve your mood, refresh energy levels and may even be better than going for a long walk altogether. Yes, all of this is possible. But the question arises when it comes to those busy days, how can you exercise when you can’t leave your desk that often?
Instead of spending MORE time on your desk right now googling for solutions, we have got you covered up. Have a look at 9 desk exercises that you can put into practice right away. However, confirm with your doctor before you plan to include these as a part of your routine.

Although you must not keep your original exercise routine aside, you can try out these exercises while sitting at your desk. Especially when you have hectic workdays, something is better than nothing, right?
Given below are some tips and tricks that you can practice in between task breaks:

1. Warm-Up
Just like any other exercise, it is crucial to perform a warm-up to relieve and get rid of any tension residing in the body due to the extensive hours of sitting at the desk. Roll your shoulders and moving your neck left, right, upwards, and downwards allows you to prevent aches and pains later on by relieving the stress off your muscles. The warm-up might seem simple, but it is very powerful and painless. However, if you do experience any pain, stop immediately.

2. Wrist Stretching
Especially handy for people who are on the computer for long periods of time, these stretches aim to decrease stress and prevent pain or more serious medical conditions ahead. A few ideas include stretching your arms and shaking your hands and fingers to remove any tension residing within.

3. Knee Rise
This exercise will help you immensely and the best part is that it can be done even if you are in the conference room or on a call, being unnoticed. It targets the crucial parts of the leg muscles so you can practice it daily without even getting up.
Sit with your back straight. Now lift your left leg in a way that is parallel to the ground and keep it still there for 10 seconds. Repeat it with the right leg. Do it again for at least 15 times to gain tensile strength.

4. Ankle Rotations
Lift your foot about 20 inches above the ground. Next, raise your toe upwards and start rotating the foot to the left and bring it back to the right. Hold it for 10 seconds and return to the original position. Try this exercise 20 times for each leg.

5. Calf Raises
Try to find bottles to add some extra weight or lean on the chair to be more stable while doing these exercises. Place your hands at the side, raise the balls of the feet, go downwards and raise them again. Repeat the same ensuring the core is tight enough.
Try this for two to three sets of rounds or till you feel a sharp burn.

6. Desk Push-Ups
This exercise benefits your upper body. What you can do is put your palms at the edge of the desk and distance your feet away from the desk until your body is tilted towards it Next, breathe in and bring your chest downwards closer to the desk. Push yourself back to the original inclination and repeat in the same way as you do in regular push-ups. Repeat this as many times as possible. However, ensure that you wear the correct tight-grip shoes or do not wear shoes at all.

7. Chair Raise and Dips
This exercise proves to be a great workout for your arms thereby building vital strength for the muscles. For this, be seated on your chair with your legs crossed. Slowly, put your arms on the armrests of the chair. Keep the arm muscles tight and gently lift yourself up a few inches off the chair. Be in that position for about 10 to 20 seconds. Bring yourself back on the seat and repeat again after a break of 30 seconds. You can try doing this five times.

8. Neck Rotations
Rotating the neck is a type of stretching exercise to relieve the tension present in the head and neck. Practice 5-10 rotations clockwise and anti-clockwise every hour to maintain flexibility and avoid any kind of tightness or stiffness that occurs due to long periods of sitting.

9. Flexing Hips
Sitting for an extended period of time can greatly strain the hips by making the hip muscles rigid and non-flexible. In order to loosen these muscles, this exercise should be performed. When you are sitting with your back in an upright position, raise one of your feet some inches above the floor. Bend the knees at a right angle (90 degrees). Stay in this position whilst being seated for as much time as possible. Repeat the same with the foot of the other leg.

Working out at home is essential, but working out at work is even more. In the fast-paced life of today’s world, especially at workplaces, it is important to keep yourself fit to increase energy levels, reduce stress levels as well as increase your productivity rate. Remember, the key objective is to just get up and get going!