Sitting behind a desk in a sedentary office job takes a toll on your energy level. You might start to feel sluggish or even nod off after lunch or in mid-afternoon. Add several fitness breaks to your routine each work day -- whenever you can squeeze them in -- to boost your energy level. Exercising your muscles improves circulation, providing you with more energy and thus increasing your productivity and improving your mood.
Head and Neck
Exercising your neck and head muscles improves blood flow to the brain. Take a moment several times a day to reach up with your left hand and gently pull your head down toward your left shoulder. Do this slowly and gradually; quicker motions could cause a neck injury if you are not careful. Hold the position for 10 seconds and release. Repeat the exercise on the right side.
Relax your neck muscles and let your head drop forward. Circle your head slowly clockwise twice, then counter-clockwise twice. Follow this by shrugging your shoulders up toward your ears. Hold this position for five seconds, then release. Shake your head briskly.
Arms and Shoulders
Fight fatigue with arm exercises that increase blood circulation in the muscles of the arms, shoulders and upper back. While sitting in a chair and with your feet flat on the floor, cross your arms on your chest and grasp your shoulders; stretch, pulling first on one shoulder and then the other.
Sitting straight in your chair, grip the seat with your hands on either side of your thighs. Lift yourself up from the chair and hold in this position for 10 seconds, then lower yourself. Your feet need not leave the floor, as long as your weight is supported by your arms. Repeat three times. If you feel comfortable with the exercise, increase the time of the lift.
Raise your arms straight out to the sides and slowly circle them from the shoulder, imagining your hands drawing small circles in the air. Repeat this 10 times to the front, then 10 times to the back.
Legs, Thighs and Core
Exercises that increase circulation in your legs naturally make you feel energized. Get up from your desk and walk around the office at hourly intervals. Simply moving from a sitting to a standing position triggers a circulatory response that starts to boost your energy.
"Wall sits" both tone your legs and get the blood pumping after you have been sitting for a while. Stand with your back to the wall and your feet about shoulder width apart. Gradually bend your knees until your thighs and calves form a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for 30 seconds, then relax for five seconds; repeat for five minutes. This cranks up the circulation in your legs and throughout your core.
Yoga in the Office
Yoga poses, modified to be done at your desk, can make you more alert by increasing your energy level. Proper breathing is essential to yoga, allowing the energy to flow throughout your body. Agni-prasana, the "breath of fire," energizes the body through a cleansing breath and abdominal contractions.
References
- Forbes.com; Office Exercise Challenge; Meghan Casserly; July 2009
- Military.com Fitness Center; The Office Workout; Stew Smith
- MayoClinic.com; Neck Stretches for the Office; September 2009
- Nursing Online Education Database; 50 Ways to Boost Your Energy Without Caffeine; July 2008
- "Ladies' Home Journal"; Yoga at Your Desk; Miriam Austin
- Kundalini Yoga: Pranayama
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