Movement is key to maintaining good physical and mental health, but we spend so much time sitting at our desks! These micro movements are great to do during the work day when you need a little reset. Add them to your weekly routine by doing them each day. Bonus: You can also do these during a long flight!
Try these right now, while you’re reading this at your desk.
1/ Seated Core lifts:
Sit up tall in your seat. Contract your abs and lift one foot about 15cm off the ground. Hold for 10 seconds, then lower, relax your abs and repeat with the other foot. That’s one rep. Do these five times on each side.
2/ Seated Banded Abduction:
(You will need a mini-band for this one)
Wrap a mini-band below your knees. Sit up tall in your seat with your feet planted on the ground.
Push your knees away from each other. Slowly bring your knees back together. This is 1 rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.
3/ Armrest boosters:
You will need to use both armrests – and have a stable chair for this one. Sit tall with hands on the armrests and elbows bent and pointing back. Press into your hands to lift your butt off the seat. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.
4/ Seated Heel Raises:
Sit up tall, feet flat. Lift your heels as far as you can without lifting your toes off the floor. Hold for a second and then flatten your feet again. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.
5/ Seated Toe Raises:
Sit tall, feet flat. Keeping your heels on the floor, lift your toes as high as you can. Hold for one second, then return to start. That’s one rep. Do as many as you can in a minute.
6/ Seated Glute Squeeze
Sit tall in your chair, with good posture.
Contract – squeeze – your glutes as hard as you can for 10 seconds, then relax. That’s one rep. Repeat 10 times.
