Stretches for Sedentary Jobs

Sitting at a desk eight or more hours a day without stretching isn't a good idea. Oxygen and blood flow through the body, heart, and brain help creativity and productivity. But many people must remain at their desk.

Stretch bands aren't just for the gym.

Try keeping a stretch band at your office. Use it to work your shoulder muscles and stretch your chest wide open for higher oxygen intake and to release upper back tension. Next, loop the band around your rear and sit on it while holding the ends. Pull up and away from your body. Cross one arm over and up, and reach for the ceiling. Follow with the other arm. Slip it around your foot and bicycle. There you have a quick two minutes that releases stress. You'll find it's easy to do stretch band exercises anywhere.

Using your chair to stretch.

WebMD offers twelve different exercise/stretches you can do to release your muscles and help you keep working. Follow the above link to learn how to release your upper and lower back, relax forearms from constant keyboarding, and do leg extensions right in your chair. All of these are going to help you feel better while keeping you on target for your workload. You will still need to eat right, drink enough water, and get in some cardio, but these ideas can make a huge difference when you just can't get away.

Ideas to keep your whole office on task?

• Set up a timer for regular five-minute stretch breaks and watch your co-workers and team soar to success.
• Trade off days or weeks for stretch leaders to involve everyone and create more participation.
• Hang stretch diagram posters where everyone can see them.

Do you need some more ideas on how to incorporate healthy office behavior to up your team's productivity, lower stress on the job, and lower repetitive injury claims? Contact the consultants at the Lee Group and we'll help you build a strong future.