Exercises to strengthen leg muscles in the office. Exercises in the office: fitness at work. Music for industrial gymnastics

We are constantly looking for excuses for not exercising. One of them is that we don't have time for this because of work. Now you will have one less excuse, because the complex that we will show you today can be done even at your desk!

It includes 9 exercises that stretch the muscles, tone them and help avoid unpleasant back pain. The exercises work every part of the back, starting at the top and ending with the lower back. To this complex you can also add the same set of neck exercises that you can find.

Shrugs

This exercise works the upper back. Sit up straight and place both feet on the floor. The arms should hang along the body. Raise your shoulders toward your ears while keeping your neck straight. Pause for a moment and lower your shoulders back. Repeat several times.

Reduction of the shoulder blades

Sit upright with your feet on the floor and your arms extended along your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades together without lifting your shoulders. Pause for a second and pull your shoulders forward. This will stretch your shoulder girdle in the opposite direction. Repeat the exercise several times at a slow pace.

Shoulder rotations

Sit upright with your feet on the floor. Place your hands on your shoulders. Rotate forward a few times as if you were swimming. Repeat several times and do the same in the opposite direction.

Back crunches

Sit upright on the edge of a chair with both feet on the floor. Your knees should be parallel to each other. Place your hands behind your head and twist your torso to the right and then to the left. Repeat several times.

Lumbar arches

Sit upright on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands behind your head. Arch your back and look at the ceiling. The neck, shoulders and head should go as far back as possible, and the middle of the back should go forward. Repeat several times.

Seated Forward Fold

Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Bring your knees together and lean forward, resting your chest on them. Avoid rounding your back. You can help yourself a little by holding your shins with your hands. Stay in this position for as long as possible and return to the starting position. Repeat several times.

Side bends


Sit on the edge of a chair and place both feet on the floor. Keep your knees parallel to each other. Place both hands behind your head and tilt your torso to the left. Return to the starting position and tilt it to the right. Do not lean your back forward or backward. Repeat several times.

Cat-cow pose (Marjariasana-bitilasana)

Sit on the edge of a chair and place both feet on the floor. Your knees should not touch; place your hands on your knees. Extend the middle of your back forward, trying not to help yourself with your pelvis and shoulders. Then, round your back and stretch it back. Repeat several times at different paces.

Side bends

Sit upright on the edge of the chair. Place your hands on your knees. Bend your back in left side, then repeat the same to the right side. Don't help yourself with your shoulders and pelvis. Repeat several times.

You can find a description of these exercises in the original

Problem excess weight is familiar to many women firsthand, the situation is further aggravated by sedentary work coupled with a lack of free time for sports. Is it even possible to save slim figure spending most of your life within the walls of the office?

Sedentary work: how to lose weight in the office?

Photo by Shutterstock

Some women strive to get rid of excess weight, others want to maintain a slim figure, but everyone has one thing in common: great desire to like yourself first and feel comfortable in your body.

Many women are accustomed to thinking that sedentary work does not contribute in any way to the process of losing weight or maintaining a figure, and it is much easier to let everything take its course, but a reasonable approach and following a number of simple rules can change everything even if there is no time or money for the gym.

Sedentary work causes severe damage to the spine, the functioning of the cardiovascular system is disrupted, metabolism gradually slows down, and extra pounds inexorably grow.

Scientists have proven that the human body, leading sedentary image life, ages 5–10 years faster

Of course, dietary habits also affect office workers, whose full lunch break is often not regulated, and sometimes the whole day is spent constantly snacking on chocolates and buns.

But if you look at the office in a new way, within its walls you can find a huge number of opportunities to overcome a sedentary lifestyle. Of course, aerobic, cardio or running exercises are not possible within the office, but there are a number of others, no less useful exercises that will help keep your body in good shape.

Exercises for the office:

  • Walking: walk whenever you have free time, it will also be useful to refuse to use the elevator and replace it with walking on the stairs, if this becomes easy for you, start jumping up the stairs on one leg.
Take advantage of any opportunity to walk, get used to walking to see colleagues instead of making a phone call or email.
  • Various stretches and bends are great for warming up, best done in the morning to wake up the muscles of the neck, arms and back.
  • Squats are extremely effective exercise, gradually increase the number of times and approaches - and soon you will begin to feel your buttocks.
  • Tightening your glutes can be a great alternative to squats, repeat 10 times.
  • Abdominal retraction: Working on your abs does not necessarily involve constant twisting and bending; as you retract your abdomen, feel the muscles tense and hold in this position for a few seconds.
When drawing in your abdomen, try not to hold your breath; it should remain even and constant.
  • Massage the head and neck to stimulate blood flow to the brain; it is better to massage the neck going up the vertebrae.
  • Bodyflex – popular breathing exercises, aimed at burning fat, many exercises are convenient to do at work.
  • Replace your office chair with a fitball, special ball for shaping, if your job allows it, and if not, sit correctly in your usual place: keep your back straight, slightly tense your abdominal muscles and do not tilt your head forward.
To stay on the ball, you will have to make some effort, and your muscles will always be in the necessary tone

If possible, it is better to do sports exercises at work in a comprehensive manner or combine them into groups convenient for you and alternate them throughout the day.

If you start spending your daily breaks at work playing sports, the results will not take long to arrive. In just two weeks you will feel that changes have begun, your body has become more responsive and flexible, and sport will enter your life for a long time.

A complex approach

Of course, execution sports exercises exercise in the office will significantly improve your overall physical condition, but you should gradually introduce sports into other areas of your life. Try to spend your weekends actively, choosing a walk in the park or a trip to the bowling alley instead of regular gatherings in a cafe,

Everyone who works in an office is familiar with the situation when there is not enough time even for lunch, not to mention fitness classes. However, by remaining in a stationary position throughout the day, we risk not only easily gaining a couple of extra pounds, but also serious problems with the joints and spine.

To prevent this from happening, make it a rule to take a break from the monitor for at least a few minutes a day and do a simple workout. Which one, ELLE suggested Mitya Stiborovsky, master of sports in athletics And personal trainer fitness club Sky Club.

You can perform these 8 exercises both during your lunch break and after work, when your colleagues have gone home. If you feel uncomfortable in the office, you can go out onto the landing - there is more space there and there is room to walk around.

1. Stretch your neck and shoulders

Any workout should begin with a warm-up. Straighten your back and make several circular movements with your head from right to left, then in the opposite direction. Then we tilt our heads forward, backward, left and right. Don't overdo it: excessively throwing your head back onto your chest overloads your spine. Perform 3 sets of 7-10 times.

Next, with a straight back and tense arms, we raise our shoulders up, move them back as far as possible and lower them down. You should be able to circular movements shoulders. It is recommended to perform 3 sets of 10 times. This exercise is good for warming up the shoulder spine and arms, which are under tension when working at the computer.

2. Pull the spine

Get up from the table, slowly stretch your arms to the sides, then fold them into a lock and lift them up. Slowly reach towards the ceiling. If you feel that your spine is stretching and straightening, then you are doing everything right. Then lean forward and try to reach the toes of your shoes with your fingertips. Next, smoothly, without jerking, tilt your body to the right and left. 1-2 minutes are allotted to complete this exercise.

You can also do “twisting” of the spine - it’s as if you are smoothly turning back with your whole torso, leaving your hips motionless.

3. Strengthen your arms and lower back

Find a medium-heavy object in the office (a stack of printer paper or a stack of documents) instead of a dumbbell and lift it above your head. Holding an object on outstretched arms, lean forward (don’t forget about a straight back), slightly bending your knees until your body is in a position parallel to the floor. Then we slowly return to the starting position. We perform the exercise in 2 sets of 8 times.

4. Increases the tone of the gluteal muscles

Do you dream of firm buttocks? Don't forget about squats: not a single workout, even an office one, can be done without them. Keep your back straight and don't lift your heels off the floor. Squat until your thigh is parallel to the floor, and then return to the starting position. You shouldn't go lower: it overloads knee joints and has a negative impact on them. It is best to do 3 sets of 12 times: this will be enough to return gluteal muscles tone.

5. Pump up your abs

This exercise is performed while sitting on a chair. Straighten your back as much as possible, grab the seat with your hands, look straight ahead and lift your legs one at a time. If you feel tension in the lower part of the spine, this means that your leg needs to be lowered slightly. Now we raise and lower both limbs at the same time, connecting the abdominal muscles to the work. Turn your raised legs in one direction or the other (we use lateral muscles abdomen), after which we pull our knees to our chest and lower them to the previous level (we use the abdominal muscles and the front of the thighs). Perform this exercise 15 times in 2 sets.

6. Keep the muscles of the arms, hips and chest toned

We sit on a chair and put our feet together. We spread our knees in opposite directions and at the same time try to squeeze them with our palms. Stay in this position for a couple of seconds and relax, returning to the starting position. Do the exercise for a minute. Do not forget that your back should be straight and your feet should remain in place.

7. Strengthen the chest

This exercise is performed almost unnoticed by others, but helps keep your chest in shape. Sitting with a straight back, we start left hand under the table and press it against the tabletop with your palm. The right one remains on the table, palm down (we place our palms approximately shoulder-width apart from each other_. Now we simultaneously press on the table with both hands, hold for 5-7 seconds and relax. Make sure that the pressure of both hands is the same, otherwise the muscles will tense unevenly. Extend exercise for 1 minute.

8. We pump up the muscles of the buttocks

There is nothing easier than running up and down the stairs. Avoid the elevator and try to walk as much as possible. If you perform this exercise for an average of 3 minutes a day, then within a month you will feel the result - your buttocks will become more toned and your calves will become pumped up. If you run in shoes with heels, this will increase the load even more. But pay attention to how you feel: if you feel like your joints are hurting, give preference to running in sneakers or ballet shoes.

PHOTO getty images

Working in an office is associated with great health risks: in a sedentary mode (which is exactly what office work) is formed incorrect posture, spinal deformities occur, blood supply to all parts of the body deteriorates, and excess weight increases.

Since during a busy work schedule there is often no time (both energy and desire) for playing sports after work, various options have been developed for office employees. gymnastic exercises. Such complexes are easy to perform and do not require much time, so it can be performed right at your workplace, spending literally 5-10 minutes on it.

Gymnastics for office workers is good because it allows you to quickly warm up the neck, lower back, thoracic region spine, legs and arms (including fingers).

1 Who benefits from exercise at work?

The name “warm-up for office staff” does not at all imply that such a physical therapy system is intended only for office workers. It is useful for representatives of various professions who move little during the working day. Therefore, such complexes are often called “industrial gymnastics.”

This type of gymnastics is equally beneficial for men and women. It is advisable to do it at least three times a day for 5-10 minutes. If this is not possible, then it is recommended to do it as much as possible: even a few minutes daily will be more beneficial than inactivity.

Most of all, gymnastics will be useful for the following groups of people:

  1. Office workers - programmers, accountants, technical support workers, editors, managers, and so on.
  2. People who spend a lot of time at their desks at home - freelancers, readers, teachers (checking students' homework).
  3. People who spend a lot of time standing - security guards, people handing out information brochures, teachers.
  4. People who spend a lot of time sitting (excluding office workers) - janitors, cashiers, teachers, drivers.

To one degree or another, all people without exception need exercise. Including those who lead active image life (it is not always the foundation of good health).

1.1 Why is gymnastics necessary for sedentary work, and what diseases does it prevent?

When sitting on a chair for a long time, even with correct posture, . And most diseases of the musculoskeletal system and cardiovascular system are associated with muscle atrophy.

Gymnastics aims to eliminate this problem by strengthening muscle fibers and increasing the overall endurance of the body. Physical wellness organism resulting from regular classes gymnastics, also affects cognitive abilities (in healthy body- healthy mind).

If physical activity will be at zero, then the functionality of all body systems may be disrupted. But the worst thing is that the heart and blood vessels will suffer - in inactive people the chances of such problems are much higher than in people with normal activity.

Regular exercises for the back and joints help to avoid the following problems:

  • thromboembolic disease (thrombosis, thrombophlebitis), varicose veins of the lower extremities and pelvic organs (and therefore prevention of varicocele);
  • arthritis and arthrosis, including ankylosing spondylitis (ankylosing spondylitis) and many other autoimmune joint diseases;
  • malignant neoplasms (statistically, approximately 60% of people with cancer, no matter what organ, have a history of sedentary lifestyle);
  • excess weight (obesity) is one of the main consequences of inactivity (and obesity is a provoking factor for the development of several dozen serious diseases);
  • atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, ischemic disease heart or brain strokes;
  • arterial hypertension and, what may seem surprising, hypotension (physical exercise simply stabilizes blood pressure, keeping it at a normal level);
  • decreased joint mobility;
  • a decrease in the resistance of the musculoskeletal system to stress (firstly, this will reduce the endurance of the body as a whole, and secondly, it will be easier for a person to get injured or get sick);
  • diabetes mellitus, iron deficiency and other anemias (due to the fact that physical education enhances metabolic processes);
  • chronic stress, depression, apathy, mood swings;
  • diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in particular dyspepsia, constipation, to some extent even stomach and duodenal ulcers (due to the fact that physical education enhances immune processes that fight Helicobacter Pylori);
  • osteochondrosis (especially cervical region And lumbar region), spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, intervertebral protrusions and hernias, scoliosis, postural disorders, spinal column deformities, chronic spasm of the spinal muscles;
  • knee diseases, night cramps, restless legs syndrome;
  • vasculitis, gravitational dermatitis (caused by venous insufficiency in lower limbs), trophic ulcers.

2 How often should you do gymnastics at work?

Physical education does not like delays and unsystematic processes. This means that you need to study constantly and not miss certain days. Omissions are permissible, but for objective reasons and in small quantities.

It is very important to systematize the process and reduce it to a certain routine. You need to develop a strong habit of exercising every day, and preferably at the same time. Each person, depending on the amount of free time he has, as well as on his physical training, you need to select a lesson plan individually (for yourself).

This simple system can be taken as a basis. Every day during the working day, do gymnastics three times for 5-10-15 minutes. If you work out during lunch breaks for work, then do gymnastics before the meal, and not after (otherwise problems with the stomach and intestines cannot be avoided).

2.1 What exactly needs to be kneaded?

One of the most important questions: which specific areas of the body need to be warmed up? It is necessary to focus on the largest departments.

Let's go over them briefly:

  1. The spinal column as a whole. Yes, you need to train all parts of the spine, but the main emphasis should be on the cervical and lumbar region. Why? These parts of the back are most exposed to stress during the day.
  2. Fingers of the lower and upper extremities. If you spend a lot of time sitting in a chair, your toes will become numb and your fingers will experience large but uneven loads (if you type on a keyboard, for example). Therefore, they must be kneaded.
  3. Lower and upper limbs in general (elbow, knee joints, muscles of the arms and legs). We stretch our arms so that they do not weaken: the muscles do not atrophy, the joints do not get used to the lack of movement. The legs need to be stretched first of all to prevent thromboembolic pathologies and varicose veins veins
  4. Shoulder and hip joints. Prolonged immobilization (immobility) literally leads to joint atrophy (the first sign is a grinding or crunching sound during movement coming from the joint area).
  5. Muscle corset of the back and abs, chest. These muscles must be trained: they are much more important than the biceps and triceps, since they are the supporting pillar of the whole body.

3 Exercises at the workplace: which ones can you do?

What specific physical exercises should you do? There are several dozen effective and quick-to-perform exercises to choose from, but there is no point in describing them all. Particularly due to the fact that hardly anyone will have time to complete them during breaks between work.

Therefore, we have highlighted only the most necessary (basic) exercises that are easy to perform and do not require much time.

List of basic exercises:

  • lie on the floor, straighten up, hands behind your head - start lifting your body so that your legs do not leave the floor (abs training);
  • after the previous exercise, we move on to the next one - we lie flat, put our hands under our heads, raise our legs and begin to do a bicycle exercise (lower abs training);
  • stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart: tilt your body left and right, and then back and forth (training muscle corset back);
  • stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, perform the triad: straighten your arms forward, then lift them up and spread them apart (this is what children are taught in kindergarten);
  • feet shoulder-width apart and keeping your back as straight as possible, do squats (while squatting, you need to straighten your arms forward);
  • we do classic push-ups, but without embellishment (that is, you do not need to do them on your fists or on one hand);
  • stand exactly near the wall, rest your fingers against the wall, stand on tiptoes and start walking in one place, lowering and raising your foot (training calf muscles, prevention of thrombosis);
  • Do a minute-long shadowbox by simply punching the air with your fists (without weights) - a great way to both train and relax your arm muscles after a long period of stiffness.

If you can’t lie down on the floor (or don’t want to), then you can use the following complex, performed while standing:

  1. Standing still, we stand on our tiptoes, raise our arms above our heads and stretch upward. In this way we will warm up and stretch the stagnant muscles of the shoulders, arms, abs, calves, and thighs.
  2. While standing still, alternately bend your body in 4 directions.
  3. From bending you can move on to rotating your body.
  4. While standing, perform several rotations with your arms (in shoulder joints) forward and backward.
  5. Perform several rotations in the elbow joints in both directions.
  6. Perform several wrist rotations in both directions.
  7. Interlock your fingers and extend them with your palms in front of you.
  8. Perform several head tilts in 4 directions. For greater efficiency, you can grab your head with your hands and gently pull it towards the tilt, stretching the muscles more.
  9. While standing, perform several knee raises.
  10. Do some squats.
  11. Perform several calf raises.

In general, such a complex, if performed at a moderate pace and several repetitions for each movement, can take up to 5 minutes.

Exercises can be performed without getting up from your chair:

  1. Raise your arms up and gently stretch.
  2. Bend your spine back. In this case, you can rest your hands on your lower back with your palms and move them away elbow joints back to stretch not only the back muscles, but also the shoulder muscles.
  3. Perform head tilts in 4 directions.
  4. Perform several tilts with your body to the right and left.
  5. Extend your arms straight to the sides, then, without bending or lowering, raise them above your head. Then lower it again. Repeat several times.
  6. Sitting on a chair, straighten your legs and place your heels on the floor. Pull your socks towards you, while at the same time gently try to straighten your knees (already straightened) more strongly. This will load the stagnant muscles of the lower leg and front of the thigh, and stretch the ankle and knee joint.
  7. Place your feet on the floor on your toes, and perform several rotations in ankle joint. Alternatively, the leg can be raised and the foot rotated in weight.
  8. While sitting on a chair, spread your legs out to the sides in front of you as far as possible. Gently lean your body forward without bending at the waist. This will stretch the groin muscles.

Hi all! This article is dedicated to accountants, secretaries, and all those who, due to their line of work, are forced to move little. If it's hard to find time to do physical exercise, if it so happens that you lead a sedentary lifestyle, then these exercises in the workplace are just for you.

Desk Exercises Everyone Will Appreciate

It's simple - watch and repeat. Together with colleagues, boss, accountant and business traveler.

In fact, inactivity is current problem. Take advantage special exercises, the so-called hidden(or ) gymnastics.

These movements (or exercises) can be performed anytime and anywhere without attracting the attention of others.

The method of “constant hidden training and physical impact on the body,” or more simply, “gymnastics for the lazy,” is an excellent alternative to traditional physical education classes.

the main task This method is to replenish, which is experienced by most residents of large cities.

The effectiveness of classes depends on their frequency and regularity.

Any exercise is performed either until fatigue sets in, or as long as there is a desire and opportunity.

You can perform the exercises statically or dynamically - this does not affect the effectiveness of the training. If no one can see you, both options are good.

If you need to make the training invisible, use the static option.

Exercises you can do without attracting attention

  1. For example, when you wash your face, you can stand barefoot on a rubber mat with a lumpy surface- this is a good tonic procedure, since on the sole of the feet there are many biologically active points associated with internal organs. Thanks to the unevenness of the mat, a natural massage of these nerve formations occurs and the body receives an additional charge of vigor.
  2. Leaning over the sink , do not bend your knees- this helps to increase muscle tone.
  3. Walk as much as possible, do not stand passively on the escalator in the subway, but, if possible, go up and down the stairs.
  4. When you go, don't slouch. Learn to walk easily and naturally, then you will get less tired.
  5. While in transport, standing in line with all your might, as if you want it to touch your spine. . Do this as often as possible and you will get rid of excess fat around your waist and belly. But this exercise cannot be done immediately after eating.
  6. Still as strong as possible tighten your butt muscles. Count to six and relax. The more often you do this exercise, the faster and more graceful your silhouette will be.
  7. When doing household chores or walking along the office corridor, while no one is looking, take turns four steps on toes and four regular ones. Then four heel steps, then four normal ones. You can try it - it strengthens.

Hidden gymnastics by Vorobyov for those who hang out at the computer

  1. Sitting on a chair heels come off the floor with force. To increase the effect, you can press your palms on your knees. Repeat 30 - 40 times for 1 minute.
  2. Sitting on a chair lift your socks off the floor, as if overcoming resistance. At the same time, the muscles of the lower leg, foot, and thigh become noticeably tense. Repeat 30 - 40 times for 1 minute, you can also do it while standing.
  3. You can also do it 40 times tense and relax, it is especially good to do this in transport, since in winter it is absolutely invisible. Just squeeze them and relax.
  4. As you inhale, inflate your stomach, and as you exhale, inflate with all your might. pull in your stomach as if you want it to touch your spine. Count to six and relax. Repeat this as often as possible.
  5. Slide your shoulder blades back toward your spine so that your back appears flat. Repeat 30-40 times.
  6. Clench and unclench your fists, making great efforts to do this. So that the tension in the arm muscles reaches .
  7. Turn your head first to the right and then to the left 90 degrees. Repeat this at least 10 times for each side.
  8. Firmly resting your palms on the seat of the chair, raise your feet slightly above the floor. Then try to get up yourself. Slowly return to the original position. This perfectly strengthens the muscles of the shoulders and chest. While sitting, make periodic circular movements with your feet, each in turn.

Exercises in the office - exercises in pictures

Another option isometric gymnastics, which you can perform in the office without getting up from your chair, and you can do it unnoticed by others.

OK it's all over Now! Get busy! And I would be grateful if you share these exercises on social networks!