15 Easy Standing Exercises To Workout Anytime While Working at Office
If you spend most of your time at work trying to catch up to your busy schedule, going to the gym for a workout session may be impossible. If that is the case, you need to consider adopting some easy-to-do standing exercises that will help keep your body in shape.
Lack of exercise by sedentary office workers is one of the leading causes of a wide variety of health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and back problems. The pressures of a busy work schedule often cause people to forget to take care of themselves.
However, this does not have to be you! By adopting a few easy standing-desk workouts, you can keep healthy wherever you are. You do not even need a lot of desk exercise equipment because some of these exercises require just a bit of space and maybe a stand-up desk.
In this article, we will look at some easy ways to exercise while standing at work as well as the type of equipment that you may need to help you exercise while standing at your desk. Read on to find out more!
15 Standing Exercises To Do at Office
The good thing about the standing exercises listed in this article is that they are easy to do and surprisingly effective at helping to keep your body healthy.
When done right, a few minutes a day spent doing, for example, standing exercises for legs, will improve your mood and eventually result in higher levels of productivity.
Ready to exercise while standing at work? Here are a few standing exercises you can try:
1. Triceps Dips
Triceps dips are not only easy to do but also have the benefit of giving you a full-body workout all in one. You get to target a lot of different muscle groups at the same time by just doing some simple exercises that require nothing more than a chair and some space.
To do this exercise, simply move forward on your chair until you are suspended in the air and only supported by your arms. In this position you will gently lower and raise the entire body while trying to keep your back straight.
A word of caution, though. You should not try this exercise with a wheeled chair because if it rolls away you could be seriously injured.
2. Arm Pulses and Circles
When you first try this simple exercise, you may think it is not effective. However, remember that the goal is not to have an intense workout session but rather to try as much as possible to keep fit while working.
The simplicity of moving your arms around in circles or pulsing them back and forth means you can do this exercise discreetly without causing any disturbance. You will be able to target the muscles in your arms and back at the same time.
3. Desk Push-ups
If you are looking for something a bit more intense, try some desk push-ups. You have to make sure that your desk is strong enough to support your weight before you begin, otherwise you risk hurting yourself and breaking some office furniture.
You start by taking a couple of steps back from your desk. Lean forward until your hands are lying flat on the desk then gently lower and raise your body. Try to do a few more reps each day so that you keep on pushing the limits of your body.
If you have a standing desk you can take advantage of that by adjusting the height regularly so that the push-ups are a bit different each day.
4. Wall Push-ups
This is another exercise that is similar to desk push-ups but this time instead of a desk, all you will need is a wall. It is not as intense as a desk push-up but is still a great way to target your arms and back.
You start the routine by standing a few feet away from a blank wall with your legs about shoulder apart. Lean forward until you are supporting your upper body by resting your arms on the wall and then begin lowering and pushing your body off the wall.
With this exercise, the further away from the desk you stand, the more intense the standing exercises are.
5. Lunge
The lunge is one of the more intense standing exercises on this list and is ideal if you want to give your body a full workout.
You start by standing with one leg in front of the other and then gently lowering your body until you are almost kneeling with one leg before pushing yourself back to the upright position.
The stronger you lunge upwards the more intense the workout will be so try to start as gently as possible before gradually increasing the intensity.
6. Calf Raises
Calf raises are simple standing exercises that target the lower legs. By alternating from standing flat footed to standing on your toes, you will stretch the muscles in your calves which is good if you spend long hours seated.
7. Pretend Jump Rope
Rather than use an actual jump rope and risk hitting something or someone, you can simply hop on the spot in the same way you would with a rope. This is a full-body workout that is great for cardio and working up a sweat!
8. Chair Squats
Chair squats can be a bit difficult if you simply start by trying to go as low as possible. It is better to start with shallower squats which you will gently lower gradually until you can go as low as your sitting position.
9. Leg Lifts
Leg lifts are simple standing exercises for legs that are very useful when you spend a long time seated behind a desk and you just want something that will get the blood flowing again. All you need to do is hold on to the edge of your desk and lift your legs while flexing your feet.
10. Oblique Twists
Oblique twists will bring the most relief to people who suffer from back problems because when done right they will target the lower back area. Just stand up straight with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart and twist your upper body from one side to the other.
11. Triceps Stretch
Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is stretch a few of the muscle groups that are regularly neglected, such as the triceps. Try to bend one arm as far as you can until it reaches the shoulder of the opposite arm, hold for a few seconds then repeat with the other arm.
12. Neck Rolls
One of the biggest complaints from people who work on a computer is neck pain because many employees do not know how to adopt the right sitting posture and end up putting a lot of strain on their necks. Gently rolling your neck in circles will do a lot to alleviate some of that strain.
13. Upper Back Stretch
Unless you work on an ergonomic chair and desk, back problems are going to be a regular occurrence. Some upper back stretches done daily will be a great way to keep your muscles strong. You simply stretch your arms in front and hold your head down until you feel back stretching.
14. Torso Stretch
This exercise can be used in conjunction with an upper back stretch because it is simply stretching in the opposite direction. Just like how your back can be harmed by long hours of seating, your chest is also affected.
With a torso stretch, you will be leaning back as much as you can so that you bring some relief to the torso after spending some time hunched over a desk or computer.
15. Wrists and Fingers Stretch
While doing any of these standing exercises you can take the time to target two parts of the body that are generally neglected; the fingers and the wrists. Considering how much use they get when typing, it is important to exercise these areas as well, to prevent problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
What Equipment You Should Have When Doing Standing Exercises at Work?
While the above standing exercises can be easily completed without the use of any special equipment, it is a good thing to consider if you want to take your exercise routines to the next level.
The following are some of the exercise equipment you can invest in:
WalkingPad Foldable Walking Treadmill C2
Having a small walkable treadmill or a double treadmill is a great way to reach your daily walking targets while getting some work done in the comfort of your office. You will be surprised at how lost in your work you can get while walking on a treadmill. This makes this option good if you want to increase productivity while doing some standing exercises for your legs.
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Revbalance FIT Balance Board
The simplicity of the Revbalance board doesn’t do justice to how effective this piece of equipment can be. The more you try to balance while working the more exercise your lower muscles will get.
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WalkingPad Foldable Walking Treadmill A1 PRO
Do you want a treadmill but you are finding it difficult to keep it in your office? A walking folding treadmill can be the ideal solution because you can whip it out for a quick session and then fold it neatly away when you are done.
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Bellabeat Yoga Mat
If you want a safe place to conduct your exercise while standing at work you can consider buying the Bellabeat Yoga Mat from Autonomous.
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Massage Gun
Sore muscles are inevitable whenever you do some real exercises which is why you need to invest in a massage gun. If you get one with adjustable intensity, such as the ADDADAY Edge massage gun, you will be able to use it any time while in your office.
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Why Exercise While Standing at Work?
Does everyone need to exercise while standing at work? Ideally, if you can find the extra time to visit the gym or go for a run before coming to work, these are much better ways to stay fit that doing a few stretches at work.
However, investing a few minutes every day to do, for example, some standing exercises for legs will have a huge benefit for your health. These exercises are best for people who are too busy to have a proper workout routine.
If you already have a smart standing desk you are already halfway there. All you will need is to stick to your routine and perhaps go the extra mile by buying some home gym equipment to use while you work.
Things To Consider Before Starting Your Exercises
While these standing desk workouts are very easy to do, they may not be the ideal solution for everyone. There are certain things you need to consider before initiating standing desk exercises, such as:
- Make sure your standing exercises do not disturb the other employees, which is particularly important if you are working in an open-plan office in which case you may have to find somewhere else to workout
- Consider the office rules because some places may not allow employees to do standing exercises during working hours
- Make sure your standing desk workouts do not cause any damage to office equipment or cause injury to fellow workers
- Look for a better alternative if you are working in a crowded environment
- If you intend to buy any equipment for your standing desk exercises, check if this is OK by asking your manager/supervisor
- Consider keeping a spare set of clothes in the office in case your standing exercises cause you to sweat
- Do not let your standing desk workouts interfere with your work productivity
Final Thought
Looking at these simple standing exercises, you can see that you do not even have to step out of your office just to get in a few minutes of exercise per day. With or without the gym equipment mentioned in this article, you can enjoy these standing exercises as a fun way to stay healthy.
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