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Workstation Exercises for a Healthy Heart

Most of us use a computer and its accessories in our work today and this creates many ergonomic risk factors such as repetitive movements, awkward postures and staying in the same position for a considerable period of time, all of which can trigger muscle pain and strain. The neck, shoulders, wrists and hands are the most affected parts of the body.

It is time we start moving our body at regular intervals in our workplaces as prevention against work-related aches and pains. In fact, the branch of medicine that addresses such work-related health issues is called Occupational Health.

In this post, I would like to share with you some “Workstation Exercises”. Did you know how important it is to do exercises in your workplace? Yes, it is extremely important and gaining a lot of attention globally! It is proven to reduce the stress in your joints and improve flexibility, thereby indirectly helping you perform better in your work and achieve superior results. Also, cardiovascular diseases like heart attack and stroke that are claiming so many of our young peoples’ lives can be completely avoided by being fit both in and out of the office!

Now, let’s begin the desktop exercises. Here are 10 easy and quick movements that you can do at your workstations…

1. Eye exercise

Keeping the back and neck straight and the head still, look as high as possible, look up and down and rotate your eyes. Repeat this sequence 10 times without moving the head, as shown in the picture here.

2. Head turns

Turn your head to the left side to look over the left shoulder and hold for 10 seconds and again move to the other side and repeat both 10 times.

3. Chin tucks

Raise the head to straighten the neck. Tuck the chin in and upwards creating a double chin. Hold for 10 seconds if possible. Repeat 10 times.4. Shoulder rolls

Stand straight with your arms by your sides and keep your legs shoulder-width apart. Circle the shoulders forward and backwards. Repeat this 10 times.

5. Wrist stretch

Interlace your fingers, face your palms outward, and straighten arms in front. Hold for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat 10 times.

6. Chest stretch ;

Place your hands behind your head, and squeeze your shoulder blades together and repeat these steps 10 times.7. Back arching

Stand straight and support your lower back with your hands, gently arch back and hold for 5 to 10 seconds and relax. Repeat as often as possible.

8. Side stretch

Interlace fingers, face your palms outward and straighten your arms above your head. To stretch your sides, slowly lean to the left and then to the right. Hold for 10 seconds and relax. Repeat 10 times.

9. Leg lift

Hold one foot off the floor with your leg straight for 5-10 seconds and relax. Repeat with the other leg and do the cycle for 10 times in each leg.

10. Foot movement 

Hold both feet off the floor and move your feet up and down. Repeat 10 times.

SOME POINTS TO REMEMBER:

·         Take 5 minutes of break at the end of every hour in your workplace

·         Every hour, try to do a few exercises from the above list

·         Avoid sitting for a long time

·         Change your position of work as often as possible

·         Get ergonomic advice from an expert if you have chronic pains

All the above exercises are extremely easy to do in your workplace; it only takes a little bit of motivation and probably some team effort to get this going regularly in your office. Once you start, you will immediately notice the change in your wellbeing and you can also prevent long-term disability by being consistent. Combined with a healthy diet and a positive attitude you can stay healthy and be productive at work for a very long time. If you need personal assistance please feel free to contact our team at Cardiac Wellness Institute (www.cardiacwellnessinstitute.com).