Desk fitness: 30-second sitting-down exercises to burn calories and build strength

Reduce tension and feel the benefits of a desk-friendly, full-body stretch. Photo / 123rf

Reduce tension and feel the benefits of a desk-friendly, full-body stretch that targets every muscle group.

We spend roughly nine hours a day sitting. When work, life, ageing or mobility issues get in the way of us standing up to do aerobic exercise, it’s a relief to know that chair-based exercise is good for us.

In fact, regularly getting active from your seat can lead to improvements in balance, gait speed, grip strength and other physical measurements, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. Repeating simple seated movements will raise your heart rate and burn calories.

“Being able to move the body while sitting on a chair brings so many benefits to the body, mind and mood,” says Nadia Narain, a leading yoga and breathwork specialist.

That’s not to say you need to work up a sweat from your seat. “Simply sitting in your chair, focusing on your breathing and moving your body, even in a slight way, promotes blood and oxygen flow. It also supports lymphatic drainage, as well as calming the nervous system and releasing the physical tension that office workers may experience.”

“All exercise and movement is beneficial, however gentle,” Narain stresses. She says a lot of the pain and everyday niggles we experience, such as back pain, can be resolved through simple and repetitive movement to help relieve tension. Moving every hour or two is ideal.

So take a seat and tone up with a workout that doesn’t require taking a single step.

Ensure your spine is straight and your head’s slightly back in space, so it sits above your heart and hips; your jaw and shoulders relaxed.

Before you start

“Turn off any screen in front of you and assume a neutral position to begin each posture,” says Narain. “Move as close to the edge of your seat as possible, placing your feet flat and hip-width apart on the floor (take your shoes off if wearing heels). Ensure your spine is straight and your head’s slightly back in space, so it sits above your heart and hips; your jaw and shoulders relaxed.”

Move and breathe your way slowly through the following postures, scanning your body as you go. Aim to hold each pose for several slow breaths and pause after any pose that’s challenging, until your breathing returns to normal.

Deep breaths with arm movements to reduce stress and anxiety

• From your starting position, let your arms hang alongside your body, dropping your shoulders and relaxing your jaw. As you inhale for four counts, turn the palms up and reach the arms up and over the head.
• On the four-count exhale, release the arms to the starting position alongside your body. Repeat 4-8 times.

Neck rolls are a great way to mobilise your body while sitting down.

Neck rolls to restore mobility

1. Starting in the same position, take a breath in and slowly lower your right ear to your right shoulder on the exhale before breathing in and out a few times and inhaling back to the centre. Repeat on the left side, noting that one side may feel tighter than the other, and return to the centre.
2. Exhale and turn the head to look over the right shoulder, take a few in-and-out breaths here before inhaling to the centre. Repeat on the left side.
3. Gently drop the chin down and roll the head all the way around to the right three times in a circle without overstretching at any point. Repeat to the left.

Spinal flexes to relieve lower back pain

1. Assume the position with your hands placed on your knees or thighs and begin to reach the chest forward and buttocks back on a slow inhale.
2. As you exhale the breath, round the back tucking the buttocks under and chin down and into the chest. Repeat eight to 10 times with the rhythm of the breath.

Rotating in the spine helps to reduce stiffness while you work.

Spinal rotations to reduce stiffness

1. From the same starting position with your hands placed on your knees or thighs, start to move in a slow, circular motion around the waist to the right. Inhale as the chest puffs forward and buttocks move back.
2. Exhale as you circle back, tucking the chin into the chest and buttocks beneath you to complete the rotation, imagining your spine is a stirring spoon. Repeat 8-10 times before doing the set in the opposite direction.

Side body stretch to strengthen postural muscles

1. Breathe in from the same starting position and as you exhale, lean to the right side and slide the right arm down pointing your fingers on that hand towards the ground.
2. Inhale and lift the left arm and reach it over the head towards the right side and hold as you exhale, before inhaling back to the centre and repeating on the other side. Alternate, repeating three times a side.

Side-to-side spinal twists to strengthen your core muscles

1. From your neutral stance, inhale to take both arms up and over the head.
2. Exhale and turn to face the left-hand side, placing your right hand on your left knee and the left hand behind you on your chair. Hold for several breaths before inhaling back to the centre, facing centre with arms overhead.
3. Exhale and repeat, turning to the right as you exhale, placing the left hand on your right knee and the right hand on the chair behind you. Again, hold for several breaths before inhaling back to the centre, facing centre with arms overhead. Repeat three times a side or for as long as it feels good.

Ankle-to-knee hip stretch to loosen tight hip flexors

1. From neutral, lift the right ankle and place it over the left knee, flexing the right foot to protect the knee and lightly pressing the right thigh towards the ground and, if you want a deeper stretch, leaning over the right leg. Hold for three breaths.
2. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side, bearing in mind that one side might be much tighter than the other.