Exercises at the desk
Guidance on exercises for people who spend most of their time sitting at desks.
There is quite a lot written on this subject and we have reviewed a number of reputable resources to put together this straightforward guide.
The opinions from various experts in their fields include:
the way you sit (slouch maybe?), type, and hold the phone may be slowly creating problems for your skeletal structure, joints, and muscles.
carpal tunnel syndrome is an often quoted consequence for people working on computers all day but it can be more than that with pains traveling up the arm to the elbow and shoulder which can also then translate to the neck and back. On a positive note, however, muscle tension and back pain can be relieved with stretching exercises that can be done at your desk and later on in this article you can click through to some demonstrations and advice.
the longer term consequences of a sedentary occupation and lifestyle. Muscle tension, joint pains and weight gain which result from sitting at work all day are just the beginning. "People shouldn't be complacent about moving just because they're not obese" says Angela Smith, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and former president of the American College of Sports Medicine. "There are a lot of skinny people who, because they don't exercise for strength and balance, are osteoporotic fractures waiting to happen."
So what can you do to address and prevent pain, tension and stiffness and also to improve your energy and alertness? There are two resources we think are of help:
Click here for the Mayo Clinic video guides - 5 guides that are very helpful and clear the other is from the WebMD website (used by Boots as their resource) who consulted orthopaedic surgeons and exercise specialists for 12 simple stretching exercises at your desk that will release tension from head to toe. They take only a few minutes. We have de-americanised it and added some thoughts too. Click here for their guide to 'The 12 Best Stretching Exercises at Your Desk'
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