Isometric exercises involve muscle contractions that tighten and strengthen your muscles without moving your joints. Performing these exercises while taking small, frequent breaks from your desk job allows you the opportunity to keep your blood circulating, lower your risk of injury and keep your body operating at a healthy level.
Praying Hands
Strengthen your upper body by doing an isometric exercise at your desk that resembles praying hands. Sit upright in your chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Lift your arms and bring your palms together at chest level. Firmly press your palms and fingers together, feeling the contraction in your chest, fingers, wrist and arms. Hold this tension for eight seconds. Release the tension. Relax for five seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times. Increase the tension by moving your hands down toward your waist area while pressing your palms together.
Eye Strengtheners
Isometric exercises to do at your desk can help your eye health and reduce computer usage eye strain. Doing a palming exercise can increase eye strength and energy to your eyes, according to naturaleyecare.com. Sit upright in your chair at your desk. Vigorously rub your palms together to produce heat. Separate your palms and place each one over a closed eye. Gently rest your fingers on your forehead. Do not press against your eyes. Let your palms warm your eyes. Doing this exercise throughout the day can relieve eye strain that can occur when looking at a computer screen all day.
Palm Press
Isometric exercises to do at your desk can strengthen your arms. Sit upright in your chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Lift your arms and place them, palms up, underneath your desk. Keep your elbows at your sides. Gently, but firmly, press your palms against the desk, as if lifting your desk. Hold this tension for eight seconds. Release the tension, and relax for five seconds. Repeat this exercise 10 times.
Butt Strengtheners
Strengthening the area you sit on, your butt, can be included in isometric exercises to do at your desk. Sit upright with your feet firmly on the floor. Tighten your right butt muscle and hold this tension for 10 seconds. Release the tension. Tighten your left muscle and hold this tension for 10 seconds. Release the tension. Repeat this exercise 10 times. As an alternate exercise, tighten both butt muscles simultaneously.
Wrist Workers
Wrist muscles need to be strengthened to help you maintain proper hand health, lower your risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and decrease your finger workload, according to the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Exercises website. Isometric exercises at your desk can strengthen your wrist muscles, decrease medial nerve pressure and keep your bone structure flexible.
Sit at the edge of your chair with your knees slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your upper torso forward and rest your elbows on your thighs, just above your knees. Place your forearms inside your knees, palms facing downward. Straighten your right wrist, fingers and hand. Place a 1 or 2-lb. hand weight on the top of your right hand. Hold this weight in place for eight seconds. Do not move any muscle or joint. Just hold the weight. Feel the tension in your lower arm and hand area. Release the tension. Relax 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise five times. Put the weight into your left hand and repeat.
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