Maintaining weight is a discussion for another day. Here, we are talking about “nerd fitness.” Yes, you read it right. The question of physical fitness among geeks has been highlighted poignantly over time. Most techies or bloggers live a sedentary lifestyle. Being glued to a desk in front of the machine’s face, many of them face health issues sooner or later.
Prolonged sitting at the computer affects not only your mind but also your body. Poor sitting posture may lead to backache, anxiety, discomfort, and weight gain from lack of movement. According to research, sitting too long & a sedentary lifestyle could lead to heart diseases, diabetes, etc. Overuse of computers causes some physical afflictions, such as eye strain, Scoliosis, vision abnormalities, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, headache, and backache – especially if you are over 40. They can damage the mental health of an individual too. And so you must know how to sit in from of the computer.
Exercises for computer users
Experts suggest that taking frequent breaks from your desk job and moving around for 5-10 minutes may be enough to counter the health risk. Unfortunately, even taking 5 minutes and avoiding sitting becomes very difficult for some people. And the ugly truth is that a few of our body components aren’t meant to be sedentary. So, if you cannot find dedicated time for a workout, try to merge fitness into your geeky lifestyle. Hence, we have curated a few easy ways to exercise while sitting at your computer.
1] Strech Out Your Stress
Regular stretching relieves stiff muscles and creaky joints. It helps remove back pain and ensures the right posture by keeping your muscles loose. Stretching at work won’t take much away from your busy schedule. Just put down the mouse, take off the earphones and unfold yourself. To keep your neck stiff, rotate it from left to right, up and down. For the entire body, stand straight, hold up your arms, and bend backward, pushing the body out. Also, you can push your arms behind your back and pull them back to stretch your chest.
2] Sitting Exercises at the work desk
Extend your legs while pushing them towards your toes. Lean back and rest at the back of the chair. Then, hold the chair tight and lift your legs up, folding them towards your chest. Keep doing it as quickly as possible and engage your core muscles. This kind of movement helps you get rid of back problems.
Another way to exercise while sitting on your computer is to sit up with a straight back. Open your legs and extend your arms, and start moving them in the form of jumping jacks. This movement engages core muscles, builds endurance and gets your blood flowing.
Another core and leg exercise is to sit on the edge of your chair, place your hands on the chair’s extreme back and press your body down and then up. This is another way of doing arm press using your office chair. Try to do at least 20 reps initially; increase the number eventually.
Read: How to get your PC ready for online schooling and classes.
3] Standing Exercises
Forget the fear of looking the odd one out. First, you must understand that your health is the priority. While standing, you can do squats, stretches, lunges, wall push-ups, and yoga moves without leaving your desk.
Place your palms on the shoulder and extend your elbows. Move elbows in circulation while touching them in the front. This exercise removes neck and shoulder stiffness.
The next exercise you can do at work is lunges. The lunges are easy to learn and safe to implement, even without supervision. To perform lunges, you need to keep your body straight, step forward with one leg while lowering the body down, and then take the next step in a similar fashion.
4] Jumping Jack
You may consider them reminiscent of our school days, but they are one of the best exercises you can do at work. It is a full-body exercise that wakes up every muscle group. You just need to jump; hands should be raised up and clap overhead while moving the foot apart simultaneously. Merely doing it for 5 minutes can diminish your sedentary work life and provide you with multiple health benefits, including weight loss. Bonus!
5] Walk whenever Possible
Don’t be a couch potato! Move whenever possible. Whether taking a short coffee break or just a break from the desk, use it. It breaks the monotony and takes you out of the apathetic state. You may not see the immediate results, but walking improves your mood, balance, and coordination.
TIP: Take forced breaks to relax you using CareUEyes or Pause4Relax software.
6] Make Staircases your Buddy
Don’t make climbing stairs an option only if the lift or elevators aren’t working. This form of exercise is good for the body and good for heart health. Climbing the stairs lowers bad cholesterol levels, improves overall health, and decreases the risk of various ailments affecting your work life.
This Infographic from Wonderhowto illustrates very nicely some of the exercises you should regularly be doing.
Even if gymming is not part of your daily routine, make an effort to maintain your health. And the best part is, you don’t need to pay anything or buy any expensive equipment. These exercises cancel out the negative effects of prolonged working hours in a chair. Although many companies have health, fitness, and wellness initiatives in place, the individual’s effort always prevails and counts.
What exercises do you do in your workplace or things do you do to de-stress yourself? Please let us know in the comment section below; we would be happy to learn about your experiences.
