Exercise tips for the workplace

Exercise tips for the
workplace 
Wouldn't it be nice to lie down on grass and
stare at the clouds on a nice, breezy day? But life doesn't work that way.
Instead, for the greater part of the week, we find ourselves crouched on a
chair staring all day at a computer screen on the desk. And no one needs to be
told that this is tiring. Add to that the chaotic traffic encountered on the
way to and from office, most of us find ourselves waiting for work to end by
the time we are halfway through the shift. The next day is no better. How does
a routinely tiring work shift in singular locations affect us in the long run?
For one, it creates ergonomical problems because most of us do not sit
correctly, it causes irritation to the eyes, leads to body aches, mood swings
and places us at a significantly high risk of diseases not to mention adding on
to stress.
We don't have to face these problems. In fact,
a few simple exercises done while stealing a few minutes at work, right in the
office can cut down on stress and keep ergonomical problems at bay. Here are
some office  health  and exercise tips suggested by experts from
all over that can cut down on a lot of the harmful effects of daily life.

The hare and the tortoise story
Sure, the elevator takes you higher faster.
But then, there's no race. We have been told time and again to take the stairs
but we tend to overlook the benefits of that. Just walking from your parking
lot to your office gives you quite a bit of exercise and reduces your health
risk. Slow and steady wins the race, we've heard, and the race here is against
obesity, increased risk of diabetes and a host of other diseases and
conditions. Climb, it's that simple.

And if you are at your desk, keep all your
body parts active with short periodic breaks where you can exercise them right
where you sit.

Eyes
Our eyes are seriously overworked. If you find
yourself staring at the computer screen for too long, and you invariably will,
try this very simple relaxing method. Cup your palms over your eyes and take
them off after 30 seconds. Do this at least every hour or less. If you were to
do it rightaway, you'd feel the soothing effect immediately.

Neck
Rotate your head around your neck ten times in
a clockwise direction. And then rotate it ten times in the opposite direction.
Also tilt your head in each direction and keep it stretched for about ten
seconds. Some of us have the habit of twisting our necks to get a popping
sound. It soothes, but is a pretty dangerous habit.

Arms and wrists
You'll have to stand up to exercise your
hands. It's not difficult, however. Rotate your hand around your shoulder joint
in a spinning motion (similar to a bowling action) about ten times and repeat,
reversing the direction. Repeat the exercise with the other hand. And then
rotate both the hands together, first towards the front and then backwards.
Close your fingers to form a fist and then
rotate your hands around the wrist one by one, ten times in a clockwise
direction and another ten times in the reverse direction. While rotating one
hand, use the other hand to hold it hear the wrist.

Legs, feet and toes
Our legs often "go to sleep" if we are sitting
in the same place for a long time. To avoid this, stand frequently and walk
around the desk. Get cordless headphones if you are constantly on calls. They
will allow you to stand up once in a while.
To exercise your legs and knees, try out this
simple series of exercise. Raise your legs one at a time while sitting while
bending them at the knee. With your hands underneath the knee, pull your leg up
as high as you can and keep it that way for about ten seconds before letting
go. Repeat the exercise with the other leg. For the feet, place your heels
firmly on the ground and pull your toes up as high as they will go. Hold them
there for a few seconds and let go. Repeat the exercise around ten times. Next,
keeping your toes firmly on the ground, raise you heels as high as they will go
and hold them there for a few seconds. The stretching action provides a lot of
relief and helps the blood circulating in those parts.

As for the toes, keep moving your toes inside
your shoes every time you can think of it. It is crucial for proper blood
circulation and keeps your legs from dozing off while sitting in one place for
too long. In fact, people who have to stand in the same place for a very long
time, too, are advised to keep moving their toes to facilitate blood
circulation.

Back and Hips
A desk job creates maximum risk for a person's
back. Watch your posture and ensure you are sitting properly. Adjust the height
of your chair properly and do not keep the back of the chair stiff. At the same
time, do not recline back too far. Make sure your monitor is at an eye-level
and the keyboard at a level just above your waist.
Keep getting up from time to time, at least
once every hour. With your hands on your hips, stretch your body backwards. Get
up straight and then bend the body again, first to the left and then to the
right.
Bend forward to touch your toes. Hold it in
there for some time. If you can touch your toes without any discomfort, it's
good news. If you have problems touching your toes, it could mean your body's
not athletic enough or there's some fat piling up around the abdomen. It'll
take some time before you will be able to touch them easily. If, like the
Kung-Fu Panda, you cannot see your toes, then that is a serious problem.

Lungs
"You can exercise lungs?" Oh sure, and if you
aren't doing it, you should start immediately. Give yourself a deep-breathing
session every hour or so. Relax, keep your back straight, lean back a bit and
then fill in as much air as you can into your lungs, hold your breath for about
3 seconds and then breathe out slowly, emptying your lungs. Repeat this ten
times. Remember, your stomach goes in and your chest outward while breathing
in, and in the opposite direction while breathing out.

This works wonders for stress. This is why we
all take a deep breath when we are really tensed. Of course, fresh air is
better than that in an air conditioned office, but if you can't step out into a
garden every hour, do this sitting right at your desk.
Also, stretch your body frequently while
sitting. You'll find it very relieving. Yawning helps stretch the face muscles
and a forced yawn once in a while actually works good. If you find yourself
yawning unintentionally, then it's probably time to do the other exercises
mentioned here.
If you have a lifestyle that doesn't permit
you to dedicate a few hours every day to exercising or playing, then these
simple exercises are a must. They are easy to perform and most are
unnoticeable. If you are worried about being noticed while rotating your arms
or bending your back, try to overlook it. After all, what you are doing is
beneficial and might actually catch on. Combine these desk exercises with ample
walking, proper sleep and a good diet and chances are high that you will lower
the risks of a lot of diseases and conditions. All of us deserve to stay fit
and if it is this easy, then why not?