Day 9: Simple Exercises You Can Do At (Or Near) Your Desk

Wow! You’ve got your Phase 2 completed, it’s awesome you’ve made so far! Now you know what to eat and how to take care of your emotions to get a strong endocrine system.

So what else you should do besides paying attention to your eating habits and emotions? Ta-dah… it’s all about exercise!

Why Exercises Help?

During exercise, hormones like endorphins, testosterone and growth hormones are produced to help our bodies regulate their production and balance. Doing regular exercise means you’re treating your hormones well. ^[1]

However, putting in a full day at the office can make it hard to find the time to exercise. Fortunately, most of us have a bit of a lag between tasks as we sit in front of our computers, and we can take advantage of a few minutes here and a few minutes there to get some physical activity in. You won’t get an extensive workout this way, but you can get enough exercise that missing a day or two of a more strenuous activity won’t make a difference. You can also avoid some of the ills that come from sitting at a desk for too long: sore wrists, stiffness, even repetitive motion injuries.

Deskercise

No one wants to do a mile run or anything else that will get their work clothes sweaty, but these simple exercises can keep your clothes neat and still get your heart rate up.

Feet and Legs

1. Toe raises. Lift your toes while keeping your heels firmly on the ground. While you can do this exercise standing, it works very well while seated.
2. Football foot drill. At practice, football players practice rapidly tapping their feet in place, simulating a run. Do the same thing while seated, for 30 seconds at a go.
3. Hip flexions. While sitting in your chair, lift your right foot a few inches off of the floor. Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle and hold the position as long as you are comfortable.
4. Walk the hallway. Walk down the hallway as fast as you can without actually running.
5. Leg extensions. While sitting in your chair, extend your right leg until it is level with your hip. Hold as long as you are comfortable and then relax it. Alternate sides.

Hands and Arms

1. Arm pump. Pump both of your arms over your head for 30 seconds.
2. Shoulder raises. Raise your shoulder to your ear, hold and then relax. Repeat, alternating shoulders.
3. Wrist stretch. Stretch your arm out in front of you with the palm up. With your other hand, grab your fingers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearm.
4. Hand stretches. Tense and relax the muscles in your hands. Make fists, spread your fingers and bend your fingers.
5. Flapping wings. Stretch both of your arms up and back, as far as you can. Bring them forward until they meet and stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat.
6. Water bottle weights. Use a full water bottle as weight to increase the difficulty of your work out. You can do front raises, overhead presses and bicep curls with a water bottle.

Demonstration