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How to workout with your office chair

How to workout with your office chair

If that heavy workload means you can't get to the gym, and you haven't upgraded to one of the new breeds of ergonomic chairs that help to mitigate the health problems associated with spending long hours sitting down, then you're going to need to workout at your desk. Turning office chairs and task chairs into workout chairs for the office leaves you feeling healthier, more productive and definitely more creative!

60-second cardio

Just raising your heart rate in 60-second bursts can have a real impact on your fitness, and there are plenty of exercises you can do in and around your chair.

Try seated jumping jacks - pump your arms into the air in a V and tap your heels wide to each side of your chair, then bring everything back to centre and repeat for 60 seconds.
Pump both arms over head as if you're lifting weights for 30 seconds, then 'run' on the spot by tapping your toes repeatedly for 30 seconds.
Do some chair squats: interlace your fingers, hold your arms out in front then push up from your chair and squat back into it. Repeat for a minute.

Build some strength

Want something a little less breathless but no less challenging? Then try these full body strengtheners:

Knee pull ups: brace yourself against your chair and lift your legs straight up. Now pull your knees in towards your chest and straighten. See if you can do 10 then build from there. You could also start with individual leg raises, remembering not to lock out your knees.
For your chest and shoulders, place your hands on your chair arms or front of the seat and lift your body. Lower your bottom nearly to the chair and then lift. Repeat 15 times.
Try the 'Superman' for your biceps and back: hold onto the edge of the desk and slowly push back in your chair until your arms are extended and your head is between them and you're looking at the floor. Repeat 15 times.

Stretch it out

These simple stretches will relieve stress and keep your muscles from tiring:

Try a yoga twist: take your right hand to the left side of your chair and look over your left shoulder then repeat on the other side. Really effective if you also breathe deeply. Not recommended for office swivel chairs!
Pushing your shoulders down, tilt your head to the left and then the right, breathing deeply. Closing your eyes and drawing circles with your nose also relieves tension in the neck and shoulders.
Put your feet up! Do some hamstring stretches by putting each foot in turn on the desk and gently reaching towards it.

A word of warning - you might want to try these while your colleagues are out of the office!

And if you're ready to invest in brand-new ergonomic chairs for your workplace take a look at our ergonomic chairs.

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