Sometimes, we are not really aware of how long we have worked sitting on our desks or in the office until we feel pain in many parts of our body. Muscle pains are a manifestation that our bodies need to rest and re-charge so as to go on with the next tasks. You may find this ironic but studies have proven that even when you’re tired you can still gain weight and be exposed to lots of diseases apart from the risk of having heart diseases, diabetes and kidney troubles.
Thus, if you’ve been working so hard in the office for eight to twelve straight hours, you have to take a break and do some exercises. Exercise is proven to relieve muscle stress, lower down stress levels, burn accumulated fats and calories while the body is inactive. It also improves your mood. It has been said that physical exercises inspire employees to do better in their respective tasks, too.
These days, there are few offices with gym equipment or break times merely for exercises. Take advantage of these times to perform your own routines. Even while sitting in your swivel chair, you can actually execute a few back and neck exercises. Try having a few repetitions of the back twist, back arch, forward backward bend and neck twist then be relaxed. You may want to stand up and do ankle and feet exercises, too. The back of leg stretch, thigh burner and forward lunge tries to awaken your thigh, legs, calf and lower back muscles. These exercises may be done properly if you are on flat shoes. You may also want to remove your shoes for a while and let your feet relax.
After executing the above mentioned routines, you can choose to do other aerobic exercises like climbing up the stairs several times. Some even bring pedometer in the office to check whether they have performed the required 6,000-10,000 steps per day. You may also consider bringing exercise equipment in the office like a pair of dumbbells, ankle weights and resistance band kept in your drawers can easily remind you that you have to exercise every now and then. You can consider grabbing your dumbbells while answering the phone. Execute some ankle exercises while doing a computer task or making a report. However, you need to stop your exercises if it already takes your concentration.
Take advantage of the chances when you can go out in your cubicle and walk. You may want to volunteer of taking a letter to another department. Use the rest room in another floor and take the stairs while going there. Have friends around your office for when you talk and smile, you are already exercising the muscles of your face. Smiling and talking pleasant topics also release positive hormones in your system and can even relieve stress.
The results of exercise routines can only be maximized if it’s accompanied with good health habits. So, during snack time, choose snacks that are healthy, low in fat and carbohydrates and sugars. Choose natural and organic juice drinks, too. Minimize your coffee and soda intake as they may affect the acid balance in your system and may lead to other health problems in the long run.