Keeping fit while at work

If your work is executed while you are seated, you could be spending 40 hours per week in a sitting position without exercising and this is likely to affect your health. Spending more hours seated exposes you to lifestyle problems. Here are some exercises that you can do at your work place to keep you fit.

Sit properly
Even before you exercise, make sure you sit at your desk the right way. Your chair should be at the proper height to reduce strain on your neck and back, according to Dr Nobert Bwana, a physiotherapist at Physique Centre in Kamwokya.
The chair provides the support for your body throughout the day. Adjust it in such a way that your feet are flat on the floor or on a foot rest and the knees and hips bent at 90 degrees.

“Keep the lower part of the spine flat against the back of the chair to maintain proper curvature. The chair will help keep the rest of your back and neck erect in order to decrease your chances of bending forward, which can cause spasms in the back and neck and lead to headaches,” he says.

Shoulder Stretches
Raise your shoulders upwards in a shrugging position and hold them there for a few seconds. Release them and repeat several times. You can roll back your shoulders until your shoulder blades are almost touching. Hold for several seconds, release, and repeat.

Arm stretch
You can also stretch the muscles in your right arm by reaching as far to the left as you can with your right arm while supporting it in the left elbow and then hold it there. Feel the stretch for about five seconds then repeat with another arm.

Elbow to knee twists
This exercise requires the use of hands so you cannot do it while working or typing. You need a few minutes off to do it. This exercise aims at bringing each elbow towards the opposite knee, working on your abdominal muscles.
Bwana says, “Sit up straight in your chair and put your hands on the sides of your head. Twist your body to the right, lifting your right leg and bringing your left elbow towards your knee. Hold this position for a second, and go back to sitting upright. Now do the same thing with the right elbow and left knee. Do this over and over again.”

Hip relaxing
Another perfect exercise that keeps your hands completely free is to sit straight in your chair, and keep your knees at a 90 degree angle. Now raise one foot off the floor and hold it in that position as long as you comfortably can put your foot down and raise the other foot in the same way. Repeat several times to relax your hip muscles.

Calf toning
Give your calf muscles a workout by raising your legs up on the tips of your toes while remaining seated. Your calf muscles should start to burn after a few seconds. Hold for 10 seconds and then repeat eight times.

Tap your feet
This you can do without getting up or even while typing. Let your feet remain flat on the floor and start tapping them quickly, as if you are running on the spot. You may start slowly then increase your speed. This simple exercise will increase your heart rate and make the blood circulation better in your leg muscles.

Leg lifts
Starting with both feet flat on the floor, do leg lifts, starting first with the right leg and then the left. Lift each leg until it touches the underside of your desk. These help to strengthen your thigh muscles, Bwana advises.