Fight Desk Job Aches and Pains with Exercise

The trusty personal computer has been a mainstay for decades now, and while it’s useful for everything from work to buying health insurance to playing games, many of us spend a little too much time typing, tapping, and clicking away. It’s even worse for those of us who work regular hours in front of a computer, and despite countless warnings of negative health effects, it looks like this sedentary lifestyle is here to stay, at least for a while.

Sitting on your tush for a large chunk of the average day can slow down your metabolism, weaken your muscles, and lower your organs’ capacity to perform essential bodily functions. This often leads to an unhealthy heart and digestive system, making it a little too easy to slip into obesity. Luckily, the key to fighting back against the worst of these side-effects is simple: you need an office exercise routine, and today, we’re going to guide you through it.

Don’t Forget to Stretch

Stretching before and after exercise can prevent unneeded strain and injury, and while these are going to be fairly low-intensity, it’s still a good idea to loosen up a bit. Don’t want to cramp up mid-workout, do you? Start with some leg stretches. Find something to hold onto to keep your balance, and raise your left leg as high as you can directly in front of you. Then, extend your leg behind you as much as possible. Now, extend to the side. Repeat each of these stretches 20 times, then switch legs. This should be your first step every time you perform this routine.

The At-Work Workout

Having cheap health insurance is a huge improvement over having none, and in the same way, just a little bit of exercise can make a world of difference. Start with some simple squats by placing a chair in the middle of the room and almost sitting in it repeatedly, keeping your back straight and your knees shoulder-width apart. The key is to never actually sit down – simply touch the chair and stand back up without transferring your weight or disengaging your muscles. Repeat this 20 times.

Have a seat to begin the second exercise. First, repeatedly thrust your arms upwards in a pumping motion for 30 seconds, flexing and engaging your muscles as much as possible. After this, aggressively run in place for about 30 seconds. Repeat this five or six times.

Next, perform some hamstring stretches to loosen up these commonly-cramped muscles. Simply sit, prop one foot up on a table or desk in front of you, and reach for your elevated foot. You will likely feel a great deal of tension, but if you begin to feel pain, stop and try again more slowly. You may or may not be able to actually touch your foot – the important part is that you feel your muscles loosening up.

Consider this your jumping off point to explore a wide range of different at-work exercises. From fidgeting to dieting, there are dozens of great ways to fight back against the sedentary lifestyle many are forced to live. Start with a low cost health insurance policy, and don’t forget to finish off with a stretch or two.