Most people are associated with desk jobs. They are working for hours in front of the desk and staring at the screen. You will hardly see them getting time to do some exercises. It is because they don’t have time to leave the office because of the presentation they have to make! Within a short time, they will grow a big belly and start to put on weight. A typical workday will call for a whopping 40+ hours of sitting at a desk, with in-between coffee breaks and power walk to lunch.
If you are one of these people and not getting enough exercise, the chances of getting heart disease are pretty high. That’s why focusing on some of the heart health activities at work is what you need to be aware of. Some simple heart-healthy desk exercises for you to follow will strengthen your heart and body whenever you are at work.
The types of exercises to improve heart health
There are different benefits involved with things to do for heart health, especially exercises. If you are planning an active lifestyle, there are several advantages to it. If you are being active, it helps in improving how you think, sleep and feel. Moreover, it helps you to perform some daily tasks easily. In case you are associated with sedentary work or following work from home routine, you have to reduce your risks of growing heart diseases by sitting less and exercising more.
Aerobic exercises
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Aerobic means “requiring oxygen.” These exercises are aimed mostly toward cardiovascular activities to increase heart rate and breathing.
- It will include activities like jump roping, brisk walking, running, cycling or dancing.
- As these exercises help in improving circulation, it results in lowered heart rate and blood pressure.
Stretching
Basic stretching is one of the major heart health activities at work and improves your body's level of flexibility.
- It helps your musculoskeletal health to improve and gives you the chance to recover from exercise.
- Overall, the main goal is to improve your heart.
- Stretching further helps maintain your balance and will limit injury risks when exercising.
Resistance training
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You are asked to focus on resistance training among all the things to do for heart health. It will cause the muscles to contract to help increase endurance or strength.
- With the help of proper resistance training, you will be using weight, resistance bands, and even your own body weight for helping to build up muscles.
- Even though it helps in building muscle, resistance work with aerobic exercises will help raise HDL cholesterol and lower the bad LDL.
- It helps in reducing the current risk revolving around heart diseases.
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Some heart-healthy desk exercises
If you are planning to get some heart health activities at work, then following some of the desk exercises mentioned below will act out in your favor. Let’s jump right into the details.
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Neck stretch
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For this exercise, you have to sit up straight in your desk chair. After that, turn your head to look over your shoulder. Hold that position for around 10 to 30 seconds, and then repeat the same process on the other side.
The main goal of this exercise is to maintain or improve motions in your neck. It helps in relieving stiffness that you will feel after sitting all day and will improve poor posture. It is one of the best exercises you can do while at work. Try following this routine 6 to 8 times on each side, twice.
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Desk dips
If you want to avoid the stiffness of your back, then desk dips might be one of the major things to do for heart health. For this exercise, the method is simple. Place your hands on the desk’s edge and face forward. After that, keep palms flat and then bend elbows straight to form a 90-degree angle. Now, bend and straighten your elbows and lower your body up and down!
This exercise is a part of resistance training and will help engage the triceps and the core. Complete 20 dips at a time, and you can feel stress living in your body. It is not just used to improve your posture but will give your heart the healthy boost it needs from all the sedentary work you do.
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Torso Twist
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Much like taking care of the back and neck, your torso is another part of the body that gets badly affected by sedentary work. So, getting some desk exercises done at this point will help cover up the stiffness near this region. The process is pretty simple.
You just need to sit up in your chair and then face forward. Place both hands behind the head with elbows sticking out on both sides. Now, take time to slowly twist the torso to one side. Make sure to hold that position for around 10 to 30 seconds and then repeat this process on the other side.
This exercise is a part of stretching and will help in maintaining or improving the motion range in the torso region. It helps to activate core muscles to help stabilize the spine. Hold this position for around 10 to 30 seconds, and then perform this movement 6 to 8 times on each site. Take a rest for a few minutes, and then complete another set.
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Leg raises
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Sitting in one position will surely hurt your leg after some time. So, getting proper exercise at this stage is really helpful. Follow the leg raise exercise to get the best treatment when needed, without moving much.
Here, you need to sit upright in your desk chair. Make sure that you have some space in the front. Now, extend your legs forward so that they remain parallel to the floor. Hold this position for around 10 seconds, and then repeat the set.
This exercise, in particular, will target the quadriceps or the frontal portion of your thighs. It will also cover hamstrings and glutes. Remember to hold the position for 10 seconds and repeat the entire procedure 15 times in total.
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Chair squats
Another form of resistance training for chair squats. You have to stand up from the chair and then take a step or two forward. While you keep the weight in your heels, lower the body back down towards the chair and then stop right before you sit. Make sure to raise the body back up to its standing position and then repeat.
This exercise primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles. Repeat this process ten times and then take a break. After that, complete another set before you head back to work.
Try out these exercises for better results
Apart from these exercises, you can even try out desk push-ups, jumping jacks, and lunges to help your body get the right amount of flexibility it needs. All these exercises will prevent you from turning obese, and that will prevent causing more pressure on your heart. Just remember to check out tutorials and other videos to understand the postures and position well if you don’t want to harm your muscles or nerves while doing it.
