HYDERABAD: A desk job may sound cushy and convenient, but it can be a pain in the neck, back and shoulders, literally. In fact, improper posture and the prolonged use of the mouse/keyboard can also cause carpal tunnel.
Sitting in one place for eight-nine hours, without moving and flexing those muscles, can cause complications. It is important to leave your seat at least twice every hour — take a walk to the water cooler or your colleague’s desk. Another way to address this occupational hazard is by following a deskercise routine every day.
Fitness trainers in the city helps us with the second option and stress the importance of doing some simple exercises at your desk. Kuldep Sethi, celebrity trainer and director of 360 Degree Fitness, puts this in context. “Ever since the pandemic broke out, everyone’s working from home. People are sitting in one place for hours, without any movement. This hinders blood circulation and blood pooling occurs in the lower extreme of your body,” he says.
Many people complain of neck pain, shoulder stiffness and lower-back stiffness because of low mobility. “Humans are built for physical work, but today most of our time is spent at a desk. In some countries, people do the same desk job standing. This is good as the body gets some movement,” he says, suggesting that people move every 30-35 minutes. Moving your shoulders and neck frequently. He lists some exercises that one can do at their desk — neck rotation, moving the shoulders and stretching the arms. Stretching your body to your left and right also works wonders.
Dinaz Vervatwala, another celebrity fitness trainer, says when you don’t move, fat gets accumulated in the body. “The body is unable to burn the fat which ultimately gets seated in the belly region, chest and sides. This changes the body composition and structure. Here, the goal should be to change the shape of the body. You cannot stay fit by sitting in a chair.
You have to get up every one hour, walk around and come back to your seat,” she says. Practise neck stretches, knee extensions, squats where you can get up from your chair and sit down again. People, who have a desk job and work for eight hours, must workout an hour before starting their job every day. “Set a reminder for every hour, take a walk, eat in moderation,” she advises.
Leave your seat at least twice every hour — take a walk to the water cooler or your colleague’s desk. Make sure you move
Stretch to stay fit
Fitness trainer RK Pavan Sai lists a few exercises one can practise at the desk
Stretch left to right
This helps you relieve the tension in the lower back
Seated cow and cat pose
Sit on a chair, rest your back on the backrest and place both feet on the floor. Place your hands on your knees or on top of your thighs. Inhale, roll your shoulders down and back. This is the cow pose. Exhale, bend your spine and touch the chin to the chest, letting the shoulder and head come forward. This is the cat pose. Alternate between the two poses for five breaths
Abs strengthening moves
Sit leaning slightly backwards in a reclining bench or chair with your knees together and bent at a 90-degree angle. Interlace your fingers behind your head and tighten your abs. Lean slightly back so that you graze the backrest. Make sure your core is engaged, hinge your chest forward. Return to the starting position. Do this 20 times