A sedentary lifestyle has become the norm for most individuals in both their professional and personal lives. For a variety of reasons, people may be unable or unwilling to get up from their chairs and do a full-fledged workout. However, there are a variety of exercises that can be done without getting up from the seat.
Ankle Rotations
This exercise is one of the easier ones to perform. Ankle Rotations open up the ankle joints and help release stress and tension. They also improve the stability of the ankle’s joints by strengthening the muscles in and around it. In addition to this, they strengthen the flexibility of the ankles and make it less likely for the individual to suffer from sprains.
How to:
To do ankle rotations, sit up straight in a chair. Then lift one leg slightly above the ground and have the toes point upward. Slowly rotate the ankle in the clockwise direction for ten whole circles. Do the same again, but in the anti-clockwise direction. Then repeat with the other foot. Do this exercise at least three times a day to strengthen the ankles.
Soleus Push Ups
This exercise gets its name from the soleus muscle, which is located in the calf region of the lower leg and is critical for everyday activities like walking, running, balancing and jumping. Soleus Push Ups helps raise oxidative metabolism (the rate at which the body uses oxygen to convert fat or carbohydrates into energy), improve the regulation of blood sugar and increase lower leg strength, balance, and stability.
How to:
To perform Soleus Push Ups, sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor. Then move the heel of both legs up and down continuously, but keep the toes planted on the floor. While it is best to do this exercise for a longer duration of time, those who are forced to sit for extended periods can do a few minutes of the soleus push-ups every hour to be a bit more active.
Arm Circles
Arm circles work on strengthing the biceps and tricep muscles, present in the shoulder and arm. They also work on the upper back muscles. In addition to this, they help reduce fat buildup in the arms, when done alongside other exercises that target the arm muscles.
How to:
Put the arms out to the side. Then start drawing small circles with the arms in a clockwise direction. For thirty seconds, gradually increase the size of the circle until a stretch is felt in the triceps. Then repeat this exercise in the anti-clockwise direction for thirty seconds. Do this exercise for a total of five minutes.
Upper-body twist
This exercise builds strength in your upper body and improves your range of motion. It also relaxes the deep muscles of the back and promotes flexibility of the spine.
How to:
For the upper-body twist, sit up straight and look straight ahead. The arms should be crossed over each other, with the hands placed on the opposite shoulder. The feet should be flat on the ground. Then slowly turn the upper body to one side (the hips should remain facing forward) and hold for ten seconds. Repeat on the other side for ten seconds. Repeat this exercise until a total of sixty seconds of stretching has been completed.
Hip Marching
This exercise builds strength and flexibility in the hips and thighs. For this exercise, sit upright but do not lean against the chair. Keeping the knee bent, lift the left leg as far as possible and hold it in the air for three seconds. Then slowly lower the foot to the ground. Repeat with the right leg. For each leg, do five lifts.