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Fitness in the office: 10 exercises for those who work hard
These simple exercises will help keep the blood flowing and invigorate your body.
Rushan Sabitov, senior trainer of the outdoor fitness project Sportules, who conducts year-round outdoor training in Moscow, spoke about what exercises should be done every day to help the body cope with the problem of a sedentary lifestyle, and was demonstrated by his colleague, a fitness instructor. Christina Kaminskayte.
A full body warm-up workout starts with the head and ends with the feet. It is recommended to carry it out before meals, but first you should drink a glass of plain still water. Also, before doing the exercises, it is better to remove uncomfortable shoes, clothing that restrain movement, and jewelry loosely attached to the body. The warm-up consists of several simple mini-exercises of 10-15 repetitions each.
The warm-up begins with tilting the head to the right, left, forward and backward. The head alternately touches one shoulder or the other. Slowly, without sudden movements, we stretch the neck muscles. We reach with our chin to the chest, and then gently tilt our head back, looking up. We also turn our head left and right several times, reaching up to the shoulder with our chin. Exercise will increase blood flow to the head and relax stiff muscles.
Exercise 2. Warm up the shoulders
We go down to the shoulder joints. We spread our arms to the sides and begin to rotate them, describing circles. The circular motion of the arms should be similar to that of a breaststroke swimmer. The exercise must be repeated, making rotations with the arms backward. At the same time, the head is kept straight, the chest is open, the arms move from the shoulder, the elbows are straight. Repeat 10-15 times in both directions.
Exercise 3. Warm up the elbows
We perform a similar exercise with the elbow joints and hands. The more thoroughly the rotation is carried out, the better the joints warm up and the more active blood runs through the body, saturating the numb areas with oxygen. Perform rotational movements in both directions towards yourself and away from yourself. Repeat 10-15 times.
Starting position: feet shoulder-width apart, hands on the belt. We perform bends forward and backward, moving only the upper part of the body. Repeat 10-15 times. We do the same exercise, bending left and right.
Exercise “Mill” helps to stretch the muscles of the back and get rid of scoliosis in the initial stage. Feet shoulder-width apart, tilt the body forward at an angle of 90 degrees, arms freely extended to the feet. Reaching out alternately with palms to the opposite foot (the right hand stretches to the left foot, and the left to the right), we rotate the upper part of the body, turning the body to the desired foot as much as possible. The whole body works actively, including the lower back and shoulder girdle. Exercise will help you avoid the problem of a stiff back. Repeat several times until you feel warmth in the back and shoulders.
Exercise 6. Rotation of the pelvis
The next series of warm-up exercises involves the lower body. We begin rotational movements with the pelvis in a circle. Exercise will help disperse the stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs, a problem that almost all office workers who spend a lot of time in a sitting position have.
Exercise will stretch your leg muscles and is good for your pelvic area. We bring the right leg forward, leaving the left behind us in line with the right. We squat at an angle of 90 degrees, stretching the muscles of both legs as much as possible, and gently sway in this position, resting our palms on the knee. Then we change legs. The exercise must be done slowly. Repeat 10-15 times.
We set the right leg to the side, the foot is flat on the floor, and the left leg is stretched out in a line. Resting with both palms on the knee of the leg extended to the right, we transfer the body weight to it and squat, stretching the internal muscles of the thighs. We do the exercise in both directions on both legs. Repeat 10-15 times.
Exercise 9. Warm up the knees
We stand up straight, bend forward and press our palms to our knees. We perform rotational circular movements with our knees in one direction or the other. The whole body follows the range of motion slightly. Exercise can help reduce leg swelling and unwanted fluid retention.
Exercise 10. Warm up the feet
We put our right foot on the toe and first knead one ankle, turning the foot around its axis. Then we do the same with the other foot.
Senior trainer of the outdoor fitness project Sportules.