Exercise at the office: 5 effective exercises to do while seated
5 effective upper and lower body exercises to do while sitting at work.
Move your body without leaving your seat. These quick, discreet desk exercises are designed to energize your day—right from your chair.
Why Seated Exercise Is So Useful?
On average, office workers spend over 9 hours a day sitting. This prolonged sedentary behavior leads to several health concerns: back pain, poor posture, joint stiffness, sluggish blood flow, and reduced energy.
Doing seated exercises helps you re-engage your muscles without disrupting your work schedule. It prevents musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), boosts blood circulation, and maintains overall muscle tone. It also improves mental comfort by triggering endorphin release.
Adding simple movements to your daily routine - enhanced by office-friendly fitness equipment like wrist and ankle weights - keeps your muscles active and supports long-term workplace wellness.
5 Easy Exercises for Arms and Core Strength.
1. Overhead Arm Raises:
Sit up straight in your seat, paying attention to your posture: slowly raise your arms above your head until they are straight, then lower them again, controlling the movement.
This exercise improves shoulder mobility, strengthens the arms and exercises the muscles of the upper back - a gentle workout for a more stable posture.
- 10 arm lifts to the front
- 10 arm lifts to the sides
2. Slow Shoulder Rolls:
Make a complete and generous movement with your shoulders: make large, slow circles, 5 forwards, then 5 backwards.
This movement stimulates joint mobility and releases the tension accumulated in the trapezius muscles.
Accentuate your exhalation as your shoulders drop back to reinforce the relaxation effect and encourage greater muscle relaxation.
3. Trunk Rotation with Hold:
Cross your arms over your chest. Slowly turn your body to the right, hold for 5 seconds and then return to the centre. Do the same to the left. Repeat 5 times on each side.
Keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles engaged throughout the movement to maximise the effects.
Accentuate the exhalation at the end of the rotation to encourage muscle relaxation and improve the fluidity of the movement.
4. Active Seated Core Hold
Sitting in the front of your seat with your feet firmly planted on the floor, adopt an upright posture and engage your abdominal muscles as if you were preparing to receive an impact.
Exhale slowly while holding the contraction for 10 seconds, then release. Repeat 5 times to strengthen the abdominal muscles and stabilise your posture.
5. Push-ups on desk:
Sit at the front of your chair, with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Tilt your chest slightly forward, with your back straight, and place your hands flat on the edge of the desk. Then bend your elbows to perform 20 mini push-ups, without taking your feet off the ground.
This simple but effective exercise mainly targets the triceps and stimulates blood circulation in the upper body.
5 Seated Exercises for Legs and Blood Circulation.
1. Leg Extensions:
Alternately straighten each leg in front of you and hold for 5 seconds, contracting your thighs. Make sure you keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles engaged.
This simple movement effectively activates the quadriceps, stimulates blood circulation and helps to tone the legs while remaining seated.
2. Calf Raises:
With your feet flat on the floor, slowly lift your heels while keeping your toes on the ground, then release. Repeat this movement 10 times during calls or breaks.
This small, discreet gesture effectively stimulates venous return, strengthens the calves and helps prevent the feeling of heavy legs, ideal even if you're short of time at the office.
3. Seated Marching:
Simulate walking on the spot in a seated position, lifting your knees alternately at a smooth, regular pace. Keep your back straight and your abdominal muscles engaged.
Take 20 steps, 10 on each leg, to effectively activate your legs and boost circulation. This light cardio exercise is ideal for combating inactivity while staying focused.
4. Partial Chair Lifts:
With your feet flat on the floor, lean forward slightly and place your hands on the armrests or thighs. Push on your legs to lift your bottom off the chair, without going so far as to stand up completely. Hold the suspended position for 5 seconds, then lower yourself back down. Repeat the exercise 10 times.
This movement strengthens the thighs and buttocks and works the stabilising muscles of the trunk. A bit like the chair exercise, known and used in various forms of gentle gymnastics.
5. Toe Mobility Exercise:
Open and close your toes in your shoes for 10 to 15 seconds, alternating tension and release.
This discreet movement promotes micro-circulation, relaxes the feet and improves general comfort after a day of prolonged sitting.
How to Include These Exercises in Your Workday.
Establish a Regular Rhythm:
Use an alarm or a regular marker, such as a change of task or a scheduled break every 90 minutes, to remind you to get moving. A connected watch or timer can also make it easier to pace yourself.
It's better to move often, even briefly, than to remain inactive for too long with a single prolonged session.
Create Goal-Based Mini Sessions:
Pick from the list of exercises and select two for your arms and legs, which are easy to do at the office.
Alternate the exercises regularly to vary the muscular stimulation, maintain motivation and encourage your body to work as a whole.
Use the Right Accessories:
Desk workout equipment can really make a difference, motivating you to move more and remember to do your exercises.
A gym ball or ankle and wrist weights worn on a daily basis increase the effectiveness of your movements. Thanks to this fitness equipment, even without targeted exercise, every day-to-day movement becomes an opportunity to gently challenge your muscles.
Get Your Colleagues Involved:
Encourage collective active breaks or propose mini-sessions for two or three people. This convivial dynamic makes the practice more accessible, breaks the routine and encourages lasting commitment.
Track Your Progress:
Use your phone to keep a journal or take quick notes: physical sensations, muscle zones activated, pain reduced or gone. This regular personal monitoring helps you to stay motivated, visualise your progress and adapt your routine to your real needs.
Key Takeaways.
- Simple seated exercises are all you need to get back fit at the office.
- Accessories adapted to the office, such as weighted bracelets, reinforce their effectiveness.
- Practised regularly, these movements improve tone, posture and blood circulation.
Boost your everyday life, even when you're sitting down.
Complete your exercises with ergonomic weighted wristbands, and turn your chair into a fitness tool.
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