6 exercises to combat the negative effects of sitting at an office desk typing the whole day
Daily stretching routine for desk jockeys suffering from hip, shoulder and neck muscle tightness will deliver quick results. The only equipment you need is an exercise band
Sitting at the office desk all day, staring at a computer screen and shrugging your shoulders as you type can leave you with tight hip, shoulder and neck muscles that could turn into chronic injuries.
“The effect at the hip joint of sitting at the desk is equivalent to holding a squat all day, and typing on the keyboard is like holding a shrug all day,” explains Louis Doctrove, lead trainer at Topfit, a boutique gym in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Doctrove is one of the trainers in the SCMP’s 12-week #TopfitMorning challenge.
He offers a simple solution: a six-exercise stretching routine – three moves each for the shoulders and the hips – that he recommends doing every evening after work.
By using a resistance band (available in sporting goods stores) to aid the stretches, you can get a deeper stretch – a similar effect to having someone assist you with stretching, Doctrove says. Choose a band of medium resistance.
The effect at the hip joint of sitting at the desk is equivalent to holding a squat all day, and typing on the keyboard is like holding a shrug all day
Hold each stretch below for two to three minutes. The intensity of the stretch should be a six on a scale of one to 10 – 10 being an extreme stretch. Step forward or back towards the fixed point to adjust the resistance of the stretch accordingly.