Easy desk workers exercises for people who sit all day

So what do you do about it? How can you stay healthy? In this article we'll give you the key. It's about becoming aware of your sitting position and how it feels. For example, what kind of chair are you sitting on? And when you're sitting, how often do you move? Are you slouching and tired, or are you upright and alert?The trick is not to make sitting your enemy, or to feel guilty about it. One of the first desk workers exercises is to become more aware. Allow sitting to "work for you". Once you get a better understanding of sitting, once you accept that you are sitting...you'll be in a much better position to embrace your sitting. I know, it sounds a bit poetic, but bear with me and you'll see that we're talking about changing small habits here, with big consequences and outcomes for your health.

Before you start planning a series of easy exercises for desk workers, it's good to be aware of this ground rule: You'll benefit from moving every 20 minutes if you're spending most of your time behind a desk. Now you may think that's a big effort. In a way it is, but think about the outcomes. Once you change these habits they will stay with you for life. My advice is to gradually make little changes. First try and sit up, maintaining a healthy curve in your low back. Engage your abs or stomach muscles. Imagine you are sitting on an exercise ball that is a little unstable, your pelvis moving slightly in all directions.

If you can, sit on an exercise ball or a balance cushion. When you make small movements, you shift your weight, and that triggers reflexes in your nerves and muscles. All this creates a gentle pumping action, and the discs in your spine will be irrigated with blood and nutrition. That's the big secret behind moving and not sitting all the time. When you don't move, and you just sit in a static position, your spine reconditions. And that's when bigger problems occur, like premature ageing and degeneration.

-Some more detailed instructions to get you started:
-Lift your sternum two inches and roll your shoulders back.
-Stretch your arms: clasp your hands together and stretch your arms over your head as high as you can.

-Roll your neck: create a circular motion with your head, you will feel your neck release loads of tension.
-Shake your legs: lift your feet so that they are above the ground and shake/swing your legs like a kid that doesn’t reach the floor.
-Clench your butt: don’t think you need me to describe this one.
-Shift your leg positions: if your sitting cross legged, switch sides, or place your feet side by side.
-Roll your feet: lift your feet and move them in a circular motion.
-Circle your hips and pelvis- move your hips around, pretend you are using a hula-hoop.
-Roll that pelvis backwards and forwards creating a gentle pumping action in the low back, wonderful for your poor tired discs.

It's all about gentle changes. The more you sit, the less your body wants to move, so try to gradually increase the daily movement.
You'll see it becomes second nature. I have been doing this for years, and no one has ever accused me of not being able to sit still. In fact, my movements are barely perceivable to others. And then the benefits are enormous: less pain and stiffness and reduced fatigue.
If you're in doubt about how you're implementing these changes and about your specific set of exercises for desk workers, speak to your chiropractor here at Burswood Health.
And if you want to find out more about how to use a gym ball, check out this video we made.