Sunday, October 5, 2008

Six quick office workout methods


Given today's fast-paced lifestyle, our bodies are condemned to hours of sitting and working on PC, which naturally takes a toll on one's health. Apart from a constant strain on our eyes, we also suffer from neck pain and numbness in fingers.

Due to long hours of sitting, certain parts of the body become stiff and others get weak.If you aren't using your muscles and joints enough, they get weaker over time. Eventually, your overall ability to function or do things with these muscles fades, making normal activities more difficult and eventually, impossible.

Likewise, when held in any particular position for a prolonged period, joints and muscles tend to adapt to that one position. The muscles you use during your job stay active, while those you don't use waste away. So the key to preventing this from happening is to keep your joints and muscles active throughout the day by doing some quick office workouts. The good news is that you can squeeze a workout, no matter how busy your day is.

Here are some tips on fitting exercise into your frensied life. Taking time to do these simple, but effective exercises in office will surely keep you toned.

1. Stretches for your wrists and arms: You can take some time out to do stretching exercises. Stretching exercises alleviate you from tension and stiffness in the joints. You can perform these in office at any time.

Wrist stretch: It's relaxing to get into a really good stretching session to release the accumulated tension our bodies suffer each day. Extend your arm in front with the palm up and grab fingers with the other hand. Now, gently pull your hand down to stretch the forearm. This exercise can be repeated several times.


Wrist and Forearm: Press your hands together in front of your chest, elbows bent and parallel to the floor.

Now, gently bend your wrists to the right and left. This exercise can be repeated several times throughout the day. Back twist: Sit upright in the chair and place your left arm behind your left hip. Now, twist to the left and hold, repeating on the other


Chair squat: Squats are excellent for toning your front and rear thigh muscles, as well as your buttocks! While sitting, lift your butt off the seat and hover over the chair. Now, hold this position for as long as you can. This exercise can be done 8 to 10 times for best results. For an intense challenge, perform the same exercise with one foot off the ground. Push ups: This is a great exercise to work your chest, shoulders and arms. The key is to focus on your breathing (exhale as you exert yourself) and to always maintain a flat back. Lean forward and place your hands slightly wider than your shoulder width apart on the desk. Your feet should be placed together with your legs fully extended. As with a regular push-up, simply bend at the elbow and bring your chest towards the desktop. To work different areas of the chest and arm muscles, you may vary the distance between your hands. Perform this exercise 10 to 30 times.

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