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Spending your whole day sitting at a desk can be soul-draining, to say the least. Not only that, the aches and stiffness it tends to bring up in one’s body is uncomfortable and debilitating. Doing desk exercises throughout the day can help you manage the office lifestyle with some level of grace, and keep you healthy for the time outside of work when it really matters most. 

Desk Exercises You Can Try Today

Below we’ve organized 9 desk exercises into categories to help you find ones that best fit your needs. Try one or combine multiple to make your own little workout! 

All of the examples you see listed below are borrowed from our At Your Desk Routines and Daily Mobility Programming here at ReverseSit. If you like how they make you feel, join the complete programming by signing up for a free trial!

Improve Your Posture

Each of these three desk exercises will help you improve your posture. They focus on mobilizing the spine and opening up the body in ways it just doesn’t usually move while sitting at a desk.

Seated Cat-Cow

How to do it:

• Sit in the middle or on the edge of your chair with a tall posture. Round your back forward and bring your chin towards your chest (picture 1). Once you’ve curled up as far as you can, reverse the movement, arching the back and retracting the head/chin. Repeat back and forth for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• Mobilizes the spine and promotes blood flow through the back and neck.

Dynamic Back Rotations

How to do it:

• Sitting tall in your chair, bring both hands to the outside of one thigh. Twist yourself further in that direction by pulling on your thigh. When you’ve twisted as far as you can go, pause for a split second, then come back to center. Repeat in the opposite direction. Go back and forth for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• Twisting opens up the vertebrae, allowing blood flow and oxygen to permeate through them.

Dynamic Side Stretch

How to do it:

• This desk exercise is best performed standing, but can be done seated, as well. Reach one arm overhead and bend to the opposite side. Slide your other arm down your thigh for guidance. Be sure not to bend forwards or backwards, only sideways. Reach with your top arm to really open up the torso. Alternate sides for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• We rarely reach our arms overhead while working at a desk; these side bends help stretch the lats and open up our torsos.

Fix Your Lower Back

Lower back pain is so common in people today, especially desk workers. Below are three desk stretches that will help keep it at bay and fix it long-term.

Seated Sumo Twist

How to do it:

•  Sit on the edge of your chair with the feet wide and toes pointed outwards. Place your hands on the inside of each thigh. Twist one direction by dropping a shoulder and pushing out on your thigh to get deeper into the stretch. Repeat in the opposite direction. Go back and forth for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• If your low back is hurting throughout the day, this stretch gives it a much needed break and can provide temporary relief.

Seated Forward Fold

How to do it:

• Bring your feet together in a narrow stance while seated in your chair. Fold forward so your chest is resting against the top of your thighs and the hands drape towards the ground. Relax into this posture. Hold here for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• This is a very safe position for your body, and allows your low back to relax, especially if it’s spasming.

High Lunge Stretch

How to do it:

• Stand behind your chair and use it as support. Stagger your stance so one leg is behind you standing on the ball of the foot (pictured). Tuck your hips under by squeezing your bum, then lean into your forward knee. You should feel the front of your back hip opening up. Hold here for 30 seconds, and then repeat on the other side.

Benefits:

• The high lunge stretches the hip flexors which are often tight in people with low back pain.

Strengthen Your Body

Now it’s time to tighten things up (the right way)! Use these three exercises to strengthen the body into a better posture for more energy throughout the day.

Upper Back Activation

How to do it:

• Perform while seated or standing. Place both hands behind your head. Pull your elbows back as if you were trying to touch them together behind you. Feel a strong contraction in your upper back muscles. Pause for a split second, then return to the starting position. Do these contractions continuously for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• Strengthening the upper back muscles is important for desk workers who often suffer from poor posture.

Standing Fire Hydrant

How to do it:

• From a standing position, place your hands on your hips, or, use a chair for support if you struggle balancing. Lift one foot by bending the knee. Lift your knee/thigh out to the side as high as you can; you should feel a strong activation on the side of your bum. Lower back down. Repeat for 30 seconds, then perform on the other leg.

Benefits:

• Our hips get lazy always sitting in chairs, this exercise challenges them to help the hips become stronger and more stable.

Good Mornings

How to do it:

• From a standing position, place both hands behind your head. Pull your elbows back to activate the upper back muscles. From here, draw the belly button in. Push the hips back while keeping a slight bend in the knees, allowing your torso to fold forward. Bend to where your mobility allows you to. Return to the top. Repeat for 30 seconds.

Benefits:

• Good mornings strengthen the whole back side of the body for better posture and less risk of back pain.

Putting It All Together | ReverseSit

Did you enjoy giving some of these a try? How would you like a program that is tailor-made for desk workers to fix common issues like hip tightness, sciatica, neck pain, and lower back pain? That’s exactly why we made ReverseSit! Join thousands of people worldwide reversing the damaging effects that sitting has on your body. Join us for a 7-day free trial by clicking here.

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist