Desk Push-ups

People are limited on time these days and it can be difficult to fit in a full workout routine at the gym. With so much time being spent at the office, it can be the perfect place to do simple exercises to improve your health.
Here is an exercise to strengthen your chest, back and triceps that you can do easily and often.

FIRST: Make sure your desk is strong enough to support your weight. From a standing position, face your desk and place your hands shoulder width apart on the edge of your desk. Walk your feet back until your body is straight.

SECOND: Lower yourself toward your desk until your chest nearly touches it. Push back up until your arms are straight. Repeat 10 times.

Video demonstration of Desk Push-ups

Core strengthening

These days, the catch phrase is “core strengthening.”

Believe it or not, if you can imagine, you can work your way to a stronger core. Try these visualizations to get started, without even getting out of your chair.

FIRST: Imagine there is a string tied to the top of your head, pulling upward. Imagine a straight line, when viewed from the side, running through your hips, your shoulders, your neck and your head. In this way, align one on top of the next.

SECOND: Imagine you’re pulling your belly button to your spine, keeping your abs pulled tight. Your back supports your abs, your abs support your back. Together, they are the core of your body’s strength and power.

Perform these simple steps throughout your day, and imagine yourself to a firmer, stronger, healthier you!

Video demonstration of Core strengthening

Squats

You either hate them or love them! But either way, they are an excellent way to tone and build muscle in your glutes, hamstrings, quads, abdominals and lower back. They can also increase flexibility in the lower body and burn a lot of calories at the same time.

FIRST: Place chair just behind you and stand in front of it with your feet shoulder-width apart. Contract your abs and keep them as tight as you can while bending your knees and slowly squatting toward the chair while pushing your hips back.

SECOND: Keep your knees behind and in line with your toes as you almost touch the chair. Push from your heels and curl you toes up so you heals do not come off the floor and squeeze your gluts and hamstrings while driving your hips up. Fully extend your legs until you are back to the standing position Repeat 10-15 times.

Video demonstration of Squats

Calf Raises

Are you looking for the confidence to strut your stuff in shorts, skirts and/or capris this summer? Obviously, a golden brown tan won’t hurt, but legs are always better with a little strength and tone. No one wants to run a mile or anything else that will get their work clothes sweaty, but this simple exercise can be done at your desk while keeping your clothes neat and sweat-free. It only takes a few minutes and will do you and your shorts a favor.

FIRST: Stand in front of a desk or other piece of furniture you can hold on to for balance.

SECOND: Raise your heels of the floor and slowly lower them. Repeat this movement 20 times or until you achieve a burn in your calf muscle. Rest and repeat two more times.

Video demonstration of Calf Raises

Oblique crunches

Oblique crunches are great for targeting what many people refer to their “love handles.” These crunches work primarily the obliques and the upper abs because you are performing spinal flexion and rotation.

FIRST: Sit up in your chair and cross your right foot over your left knee and place your fingertips to the side of your head behind your ears.

SECOND: Slowly curl you upper body diagonally across and touch your left elbow to your right knee. Contract your abs and obliques as hard as you can at the bottom of the movement and then resist on the way back to the beginning. Repeat 10-12 times before switching sides

Video demonstration of Oblique crunches

Tricep dip

With spring in full bloom and summer just around the corner, are you getting excited or nervous about getting into those summer clothes? Toning the triceps, the muscles that run on the backside of your upper arm, is one way to really help prep your arms for tank tops.

The tricep muscle can be a difficult area to tone, especially for women. The tricep dip is an effective toning exercise that uses your body weight as resistance. It can be performed anywhere and does not require weights.

How it’s done

First, if you are using a chair, make sure it is stable and sturdy enough to hold your body weight. Then, sit on the edge of your chair with legs bent and your hands next to your thighs and feet placed about hip width apart on the floor.

Straighten out your arms and keep a little bend in your elbows in order to keep tension on your triceps and off elbow joints. Slowly bend at your elbows and lower your upper body toward the floor until your arms are at about a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the chair.

Once you reach the bottom of the movement, slowly press off with your hands and push yourself straight back up to the starting position. Repeat 10-12 times.

Video demonstration of Tricep Dip

Stronger legs

Are you the one circling the lot in search of the parking place right in front of the door because you’re too tired to walk? Are you so stiff that you walk like a robot when you get up from your desk?
Putting in a full day at the office can make it hard to find the time to exercise. The old “I don’t have time to exercise” excuse is the only thing getting a workout. The U.S. Surgeon General recommends at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise five times per week, and most Americans don’t come close to this amount.
While you won’t win eight gold medals like Michael Phelps, you can take advantage of a few minutes here and there to get some physical exercise at your desk.

How it’s done

To strengthen the muscles in the upper part of the leg (the hip flexors and quadriceps), you need to sit on the edge of your chair and extend your leg out straight so it is even with your hip. Keeping the upper part of your leg stationary, bend and straighten the knee ten times. Repeat with the other leg.

Feet-up hamstring stretch

Do the pressures associated with the ailing economy got you trapped at your desk and scaling back on your health club membership and other physical activiites? Don't allow your body to deteriorate along with the stock market. Improve your hamstring, lower back and calf muscle flexibility with a few minutes of stretching at your desk.

How it’s done

Position your chair away from your desk and put your right leg on the desk or another chair in front of you. Flex your foot and keep your knee straight. Lean forward slowly by bending at the waist and keeping your upper back straight. Reach toward your flexed foot until you achieve a slightly uncomfortable stretch in the back of your leg. Hold for 15-30 seconds. Switch legs and repeat.

Video demonstration of the Feet-up hamstring stretch

Seated knee hug

Is your body getting stiffer as you sit at your desk each day, for hours at a time? The lack of motion makes our muscles stiff and we often feel it in our backs. To keep tension at bay, perform the seated knee hug to stretch the lower back, strengthen the abdominal muscles and promote blood flow to your legs.

How it’s done

Sit on the edge of your chair with a tall spine and arms resting at your sides. Exhale as you bring the right knee upward, toward your chest. Make sure you continue to sit up tall, not rounding the upper body forward. Slowly reach your arms around and hug the right knee close to your chest. Hold your knee into your chest for a count of 15 seconds. Inhale as you return to starting position and repeat 10 times. Repeat the process with your left knee. Do as needed throughout the day.

Video demonstration of the Seated knee hug

Forearm stretch

Raise your hand if raising your hand will be the only exercise you get at your desk all day. Do you make Edward Scissorhands look flexible? This lack of mobility can and will have a detrimental effect on your bodies and your health. Fortunately, there are simple exercises you can do to make yourself feel less like the Tin Man. For all you weary typists, here is a forearm stretch to keep your pecking pace at its peak.

How it’s done

Position your right arm straight in front of you with your palm facing outward and your fingers pointing down. Using the left hand, gently pull the palm toward you and hold for a count of 10. Next, raise your hand so that your palm is facing away from your body and your fingers are pointing toward the ceiling. With the left hand, gently pull the right hand toward your body and hold for a count of 10. Repeat with the left arm.

Video demonstration of the Forearm Stretch