Q: Hi Ernie: I thoroughly enjoy your column. Can you please recommend some exercises to do while sitting at a desk. I do stretch, however I don’t feel that is enough. In your opinion are bicycle type machines made to operate under a desk worthwhile?
— Sue Halliday
A: Hi Sue: Thanks so much for being a reader and for reaching out with your question. It’s a good one that is likely relatable to many people. In recent years, “sitting” has often been called the “new smoking” in terms of a new, and significant, threat to our health and wellness.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. These include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Based on research, and from anecdotal evidence, we know that sitting too much is bad for us and that many of us should be exercising more and living with more daily activity.
The challenge, however, is for people who are bound to a desk for up to 40 hours per week at work and then living demanding lives outside of work. Getting involved in formal, structured exercise programs or hitting the gym, just isn’t realistic for everyone.
The solution to this problem might come from your question, learning how to exercise while at your desk. Your assessment is correct that stretching is good, but, not enough. Based on this, here are a small group of exercises that I’ve come up with to help you stay fit while boosting “feel good” endorphins and helping to relieve stress.
1- High Knee March — Move your chair and step back from your desk. March in place, trying to get your knees as high as is comfortable and tap one hand at a time to the opposite knee. Continue for 30-60 seconds.
2- Body Weight Squats — Fold your arms across the front of your chest with your hands on the opposite shoulders. Bend your knees, with your buttocks moving back as if you were going to sit in a chair before standing up. If your desk chair is on wheels, do not sit into the chair for safety’s sake. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions.
3- Desk Pushups — Place your palms, shoulder width apart, at the edge of your desk. Move your feet away from the desk until you’re at a 45 degree angle with your heels up. Make sure that you are wearing non-slip shoes or not wearing any shoes at all. With a flat back, start the pushup by lowering your chest towards the desk until your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle before pushing yourself back up as you would in a standard pushup. Make sure that you are not holding your breath and attempt to complete between 10 and 20 repetitions.
4- Desk Plank — The plank is a great exercise for all of the core muscles of the abdomen and lower back as well as for your arms and shoulders. When you are finished your last pushup, hold the starting position for anywhere up to 60 seconds (with good form and no pain.) Don’t let your hips sag or push your butt in the air and do not, ever, hold your breath. If you can only do a few seconds, build up over time.
5- Leaning Straight Leg Rear Raises — One final exercise can be performed in the same position as the pushups and plank. While holding a desk plank, alternate lifting one leg at a time straight up and back behind you by using the muscles in the backside. Move slowly and deliberately when doing this move which is sometimes called a “scissor kick.” Try for 10 repetitions with each leg.
6- Band Pull-Aparts — You will need to bring an exercise band to work that you can control for sets of 10-20 repetitions. Grab your band about shoulder width apart with your arms extended straight out in front of you at shoulder height. To perform the exercise, pull your arms straight back without bending your elbows, in an attempt to have the band lie flat across your chest. This is done by bringing your shoulder blades back together while pushing your chest out. If you cannot do the movement without bending your elbows, try using a lighter resistance band. Perform between 10 and 20 repetitions with good form.
You can perform this routine as a stand-alone workout for 3 rounds when you have time, or do bits and pieces spread evenly throughout the week whenever you have a few minutes. If you can walk daily as much as possible and continue with your desk stretches, you’ll have a nicely rounded fitness regimen.
I’ll address the under-desk bikes in next week’s column.
Medical Exercise Specialist Ernie Schramayr helps his clients manage medical conditions with exercise. You can follow him at erniesfitnessworld.com; 905-741-7532 or erniesfitnessworld@gmail.com
Q: Hi Ernie: I thoroughly enjoy your column. Can you please recommend some exercises to do while sitting at a desk. I do stretch, however I don’t feel that is enough. In your opinion are bicycle type machines made to operate under a desk worthwhile?
— Sue Halliday
A: Hi Sue: Thanks so much for being a reader and for reaching out with your question. It’s a good one that is likely relatable to many people. In recent years, “sitting” has often been called the “new smoking” in terms of a new, and significant, threat to our health and wellness.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. These include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Based on research, and from anecdotal evidence, we know that sitting too much is bad for us and that many of us should be exercising more and living with more daily activity.
The challenge, however, is for people who are bound to a desk for up to 40 hours per week at work and then living demanding lives outside of work. Getting involved in formal, structured exercise programs or hitting the gym, just isn’t realistic for everyone.
The solution to this problem might come from your question, learning how to exercise while at your desk. Your assessment is correct that stretching is good, but, not enough. Based on this, here are a small group of exercises that I’ve come up with to help you stay fit while boosting “feel good” endorphins and helping to relieve stress.
1- High Knee March — Move your chair and step back from your desk. March in place, trying to get your knees as high as is comfortable and tap one hand at a time to the opposite knee. Continue for 30-60 seconds.
2- Body Weight Squats — Fold your arms across the front of your chest with your hands on the opposite shoulders. Bend your knees, with your buttocks moving back as if you were going to sit in a chair before standing up. If your desk chair is on wheels, do not sit into the chair for safety’s sake. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions.
3- Desk Pushups — Place your palms, shoulder width apart, at the edge of your desk. Move your feet away from the desk until you’re at a 45 degree angle with your heels up. Make sure that you are wearing non-slip shoes or not wearing any shoes at all. With a flat back, start the pushup by lowering your chest towards the desk until your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle before pushing yourself back up as you would in a standard pushup. Make sure that you are not holding your breath and attempt to complete between 10 and 20 repetitions.
4- Desk Plank — The plank is a great exercise for all of the core muscles of the abdomen and lower back as well as for your arms and shoulders. When you are finished your last pushup, hold the starting position for anywhere up to 60 seconds (with good form and no pain.) Don’t let your hips sag or push your butt in the air and do not, ever, hold your breath. If you can only do a few seconds, build up over time.
5- Leaning Straight Leg Rear Raises — One final exercise can be performed in the same position as the pushups and plank. While holding a desk plank, alternate lifting one leg at a time straight up and back behind you by using the muscles in the backside. Move slowly and deliberately when doing this move which is sometimes called a “scissor kick.” Try for 10 repetitions with each leg.
6- Band Pull-Aparts — You will need to bring an exercise band to work that you can control for sets of 10-20 repetitions. Grab your band about shoulder width apart with your arms extended straight out in front of you at shoulder height. To perform the exercise, pull your arms straight back without bending your elbows, in an attempt to have the band lie flat across your chest. This is done by bringing your shoulder blades back together while pushing your chest out. If you cannot do the movement without bending your elbows, try using a lighter resistance band. Perform between 10 and 20 repetitions with good form.
You can perform this routine as a stand-alone workout for 3 rounds when you have time, or do bits and pieces spread evenly throughout the week whenever you have a few minutes. If you can walk daily as much as possible and continue with your desk stretches, you’ll have a nicely rounded fitness regimen.
I’ll address the under-desk bikes in next week’s column.
Medical Exercise Specialist Ernie Schramayr helps his clients manage medical conditions with exercise. You can follow him at erniesfitnessworld.com; 905-741-7532 or erniesfitnessworld@gmail.com
Q: Hi Ernie: I thoroughly enjoy your column. Can you please recommend some exercises to do while sitting at a desk. I do stretch, however I don’t feel that is enough. In your opinion are bicycle type machines made to operate under a desk worthwhile?
— Sue Halliday
A: Hi Sue: Thanks so much for being a reader and for reaching out with your question. It’s a good one that is likely relatable to many people. In recent years, “sitting” has often been called the “new smoking” in terms of a new, and significant, threat to our health and wellness.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns. These include obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, increased fat around the waist and unhealthy cholesterol levels.
Based on research, and from anecdotal evidence, we know that sitting too much is bad for us and that many of us should be exercising more and living with more daily activity.
The challenge, however, is for people who are bound to a desk for up to 40 hours per week at work and then living demanding lives outside of work. Getting involved in formal, structured exercise programs or hitting the gym, just isn’t realistic for everyone.
The solution to this problem might come from your question, learning how to exercise while at your desk. Your assessment is correct that stretching is good, but, not enough. Based on this, here are a small group of exercises that I’ve come up with to help you stay fit while boosting “feel good” endorphins and helping to relieve stress.
1- High Knee March — Move your chair and step back from your desk. March in place, trying to get your knees as high as is comfortable and tap one hand at a time to the opposite knee. Continue for 30-60 seconds.
2- Body Weight Squats — Fold your arms across the front of your chest with your hands on the opposite shoulders. Bend your knees, with your buttocks moving back as if you were going to sit in a chair before standing up. If your desk chair is on wheels, do not sit into the chair for safety’s sake. Repeat for 10-20 repetitions.
3- Desk Pushups — Place your palms, shoulder width apart, at the edge of your desk. Move your feet away from the desk until you’re at a 45 degree angle with your heels up. Make sure that you are wearing non-slip shoes or not wearing any shoes at all. With a flat back, start the pushup by lowering your chest towards the desk until your elbows are bent at a 90 degree angle before pushing yourself back up as you would in a standard pushup. Make sure that you are not holding your breath and attempt to complete between 10 and 20 repetitions.
4- Desk Plank — The plank is a great exercise for all of the core muscles of the abdomen and lower back as well as for your arms and shoulders. When you are finished your last pushup, hold the starting position for anywhere up to 60 seconds (with good form and no pain.) Don’t let your hips sag or push your butt in the air and do not, ever, hold your breath. If you can only do a few seconds, build up over time.
5- Leaning Straight Leg Rear Raises — One final exercise can be performed in the same position as the pushups and plank. While holding a desk plank, alternate lifting one leg at a time straight up and back behind you by using the muscles in the backside. Move slowly and deliberately when doing this move which is sometimes called a “scissor kick.” Try for 10 repetitions with each leg.
6- Band Pull-Aparts — You will need to bring an exercise band to work that you can control for sets of 10-20 repetitions. Grab your band about shoulder width apart with your arms extended straight out in front of you at shoulder height. To perform the exercise, pull your arms straight back without bending your elbows, in an attempt to have the band lie flat across your chest. This is done by bringing your shoulder blades back together while pushing your chest out. If you cannot do the movement without bending your elbows, try using a lighter resistance band. Perform between 10 and 20 repetitions with good form.
You can perform this routine as a stand-alone workout for 3 rounds when you have time, or do bits and pieces spread evenly throughout the week whenever you have a few minutes. If you can walk daily as much as possible and continue with your desk stretches, you’ll have a nicely rounded fitness regimen.
I’ll address the under-desk bikes in next week’s column.
Medical Exercise Specialist Ernie Schramayr helps his clients manage medical conditions with exercise. You can follow him at erniesfitnessworld.com; 905-741-7532 or erniesfitnessworld@gmail.com