5 Easy Office Exercises to Undo the Harm of Sitting All Day

Five simple desk exercises to boost circulation, ease tension, and protect your health—all without leaving your office.

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Sitting for extended periods can not only cause poor blood circulation in the lower limbs but may also cause pain further up in the shoulders, upper back, and neck. This article introduces five exercises that could relieve the harm of sitting for a long time, and they can be executed even in a small office space.

A review of several studies has shown that long-term sitting significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes, as well as all-cause mortality.

Other studies have indicated that watching TV for long periods is linked to a significant loss in life expectancy—about 22 minutes lost for every hour watched after age 25. Six hours of daily viewing could shorten life by nearly 5 years, similar to risks from obesity and physical inactivity. Every hour spent sitting watching TV may shorten your life by 22 minutes, which is equivalent to the impact of smoking two cigarettes. 

From a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) perspective, prolonged sitting can obstruct the spleen, liver, and kidney meridians. These three meridians all run from the crotch to the upper body. Long-term obstruction can cause problems such as poor blood circulation, bad mood, weak spleen and stomach, and edema.

TCM posits that the body has a network of meridians—channels that allow energy to flow and help transport qi and blood throughout the body. In TCM, qi is the vital energy that powers life, while blood is the nourishing substance that provides essential nutrients. When the flow of qi and blood is disrupted or when there is a deficiency, it can lead to illness and other health problems.

5 Ways to Exercise in the Office

The best way to reduce the risks of prolonged sitting is to break it up regularly by stretching and moving your muscles. Even a few minutes of movement every 30 to 60 minutes can make a big difference in keeping your body healthy and energized.

Here are five simple exercises you can do right at your desk:

Stretch the Iliopsoas Muscle

The biggest problem with sitting for a long time is that it will cause tightness in the iliopsoas muscle, the primary hip flexor that helps in rotation of the hip joint.

This stretch can be done using an office chair.

• Step 1: Sit sideways on the edge of a chair, bend the knee onto the inside of the chair, and stretch the leg backwards on the outside of the chair.
• Step 2: Raise the arms outside the chair and look up to the ceiling to enhance the iliopsoas muscle stretch.

Seated Twist

When sitting for a long time, incorrect postures such as hunching over can easily put weight on the lumbar spine. In addition, due to long periods of inactivity, the spine would become stiffer, making it more likely to experience back pain.

• Step 1: Sit on a chair, lift one leg, cross it over to the other leg, and place your foot on the chair.
• Step 2: Twist your body toward the raised foot. You can hold the back of the chair with both hands to increase the extent of twisting.

Big Two Squat

This is one of the lower limb exercises that helps clear the liver, spleen, and kidney meridians while also working the inner thigh muscles.

The best exercise is the horse squat or practicing the large second-position squat in Chinese classical dance.

• Step 1: Hold the back of the chair for support, spread your feet about twice as wide as your shoulders, straighten your back, and imagine your head being pulled upwards.
• Step 2: Inhale, bend your knees in line with your feet, and squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping your buttocks from lifting. Hold for 5 seconds.
• Step 3: Exhale and use your inner thighs to push your body up.

Lunge and Lift Your Feet

Sitting for a long time can cause weakness in the gluteal muscles and tightness in the quadriceps.

This exercise targets weak gluteal muscles and tight quadriceps.

• Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your body straight.
• Step 2: Take one step back and squat down until your thigh and calf are at 90 degrees.
• Step 3: Engage your hips and legs to push yourself upwards, lifting your back foot up until your thigh and calf are at 90 degrees

Stand on Tiptoes

Sitting for a long time will deteriorate the venous return in the lower limbs and easily cause edema.

This exercise improves venous return in the lower limbs, reducing edema, and strengthens the calves and Achilles tendon.

• Step 1: Stand up straight, tuck your tailbone, engage your lower abdomen, and imagine the top of your head being pulled upwards.
• Step 2: After feeling your body’s center of gravity lean slightly forward, stand on tiptoes. Hold this posture for as long as you can, and repeat.

Conclusion

Moving regularly throughout the day is essential to counteract the health risks of prolonged sitting. Aim to stand up, stretch, or do a few exercises every 30 to 60 minutes to keep your muscles active and your circulation strong.

Warning signs that you need more movement include stiffness, swelling in the legs, back pain, a feeling of heaviness, or frequent fatigue. These are your body’s way of telling you it’s time to get up and move! By adding small but consistent movements into your office routine, you can protect your health, boost your energy, and feel better every day.