Many office workers have jobs where they sit or stand for long periods. Working in one position can lead to muscle pain and strain. Exercises done at the desk can help.

Exercise Breaks

Actions that are frequently repeated or held statically for periods of time can result in muscle fatigue and tightness. The following exercises are designed to counteract the movements used on the job by reducing postural fatigue, aches, and pains. You can do these exercises right at your workstation.

Exercises marked with an asterisk (*) are stretch exercises and require the following exercise technique.

1. Take a deep breath in through your nose and make your abdomen expand
2. Breathe all the air slowly out through your mouth
3. Pause and relax
4. Then, stretch the muscle
5. Hold for 10 counts
6. Ease off, repeat steps one to five, stretching a little further each time

Repeat exercise three to five times each, unless otherwise specified. It takes 10 minutes to complete the entire program. Many of the exercises can be done separately throughout the day to relieve specific postural fatigue.

Face and Trunk Exercises

Face Stretch
Raise your eyebrows and open your eyes as wide as possible. At the same time, open your mouth and breathe in deeply. Breathe out long and slowly as you purse your lips and relax your eyes and brows.

Tall Stretch
Interlock fingers, palms up. Stretch arms above the head until they are straight. Do not arch the back. Relax and repeat.

Shoulder Exercises

Overhead Stretch
With arms extended overhead and palms together, stretch arms upward and slightly backwards. Relax and repeat.

Forward Stretch
Interlace your fingers in front of you at shoulder height. Turn your palms outward as you extend your arms forward and feel a stretch. Relax and repeat.

Shoulder Roll
Roll the shoulders, raise them, pull them back, then drop them and relax. Repeat in the opposite direction.

Back Exercises

Backward Stretch
With your arms relaxed at your side and using the relaxed breathing technique:
a) Shrug your shoulders, hold, relax
b) Pull your shoulder bladed back, hold, relax
c) Roll your shoulders forward, hold, relax

Middle Back Release
With your fingers interlaced behind your head, keep your elbows straight out to the side and your upper body in a well aligned position. Pull your shoulder blades together to create a feeling of tension through your upper back and shoulder blades. Relax and repeat.

Neck Exercises

Neck Half Circles
Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Roll your head slowly from side to front to side, keeping your back straight. If a particular position feels tight, stop and hold a stretch. Do so by using the breathing technique discussed earlier.

Neck Rotation
Sit or stand with arms relaxed by your side. Using the stretch breathing technique described earlier, look over one shoulder as far as possible, then do the same in the opposite direction.

Neck Side Bends
While sitting or standing, move your head to your right shoulder, trying to touch your shoulder with your ear (keep the shoulder down). Repeat on the left side.

Nose to Armpit
While sitting or standing, tip your head to one side (ear to shoulder) and drop that shoulder slightly, then move your head toward the opposite armpit. Repeat alternately to the other side.

Elbow and Wrist Exercises

Prayer Position
Put the palms of your hands together so that your elbows are bent and your wrists are at right angles. Using the breathing technique described earlier and keeping the palms of the hands together, push your right palm and fingers firmly against the left and bend the left wrist back. Repeat to the other side.

Finger Stretch
Clench your hand into a fist with the palm facing you. Extend your fingers, hold and return to the fist position. Repeat with the other hand.

Thumb Roll
With your forearm and hand in a mid-position so that your hand is resting on the little finger border, make large circles with your thumbs in both directions.

Leg Exercises

Leg Lift
Sit forward on the chair so that your back is not touching the chair's back. Place feet flat on the floor. With a straight leg, lift one foot a few inches off the floor. Hold momentarily, return it to the floor and repeat with the other leg.

Ankle Flex and Stretch
Hold one foot off the floor, leg straight. Alternately flex ankle (pointing toes up) and extend (pointing toes toward the floor). Repeat with the other leg.

Toe-in, toe-out
Place feet shoulder-width apart, heels on the floor. Swing toes in, then out.

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Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this workbook. OHCOW assumes no responsibility for how this information is used.
January 2012