Frida Harju reveals the 5 best exercises you can do in the office…

For many of us, five days of our week are spent sitting in offices, hunched over computers.

Demands from our bosses and busy periods often give us no opportunity to leave the office for any exercise.  

Not only are we left feeling frustrated and unhealthy at our lack of movement – but we are at higher risk of coronary heart disease – the planet’s leading killer.

While there isn’t much that can be done about the nature of your office job, an expert has compiled five exercises that can be done at your desk.

Frida Harju, a Swedish-based nutritionist at health and fitness app Lifesum, says these simple activities can help strengthen and tone the body. 

MAGIC CARPET RIDE

Frida Harju, a Swedish-based nutritionist, says a magic carpet ride helps to strengthen the core and arms. Lift your feet onto the chair and sit cross legged, place your hands on the arm rests and lift yourself a few inches off the seat for 15 seconds

If you spend the day sitting on a sturdy chair, then this this is a good exercise you can do for strengthening your core and arms. 

Lift your feet onto the chair and sit cross legged (so that your feet are on the seat), suck in your stomach, place your hands on the arm rests.

Putting your weight on your arms, lift yourself a few inches off the seat. 

Using your hands, arms and core, hold the position for ten-fifteen seconds before lowering yourself back onto the seat. Rest and repeat five times.

WRIST STRETCH

A simple wrist stretch can help to relax the muscles after using them all day to type. Use your other hand to pull the fingers of the outstretched arm down for three seconds

Typing away all day can be hard on our wrists, so this is a great stretch to relax them. 

Simply stretch out one arm at a time, (palm facing down) and use your other hand to pull the fingers of the outstretched arm down for three seconds and then up for three seconds. 

Then alternate to the other arm.

LEG LIFTS AND CURLS

Leg curls are ideal to do while you’re standing by the printer waiting for it to finish, she says. Lift one leg behind you and hold it for a second

While leg lifts are also a great exercise to do in the office, Ms Harju claims. Stretch your legs out in front of you and cross them over. Lift them off the floor, press your top leg down against your bottom and try to resist the pressure

If you are standing by the printer waiting for it to finish churning out documents, then this is an ideal opportunity for some leg toning exercises. 

Lift one leg behind you, or to your side, making sure to keep it straight, hold it for a second and then slowly lower it down before repeating with the other leg. 

Another leg toning exercise you can do if you are sitting, is to stretch your legs out in front of you and cross them over. 

Using your core lift them off the floor, press your top leg down against your bottom leg and resist the pressure with your bottom leg. 

Hold this until your leg muscles feel tired and then repeat placing the other leg on top.

STEADY HEEL RAISE

Steady heal raises, which help strengthen calf muscles, can be done either sitting or standing. Stand as tall as possible and slowly lift your heels off the floor until you are just resting on the balls of your feet. Repeat 20 times on each foot

This is one you can do either standing or sitting and is great for strengthening calf muscles. 

Stand or sit up as tall as you can and slowly lift your heels off the floor until you are resting on just the balls of your feet. 

Hold and then slowly lower, repeat twenty times on each foot and then do a set of 10 on each foot. 

You can add more reps as you get stronger.

NECK AND SHOULDER SHAPER

Aching shoulders are commonplace in the office. Roll back your shoulders until the blades are touching, holding the position for arund 10 seconds

Aching necks and shoulders are a well-known feature of office life, but there are stretches you can do that not only help relieve this, but also help tone your neck and shoulders.

Beginning with your neck – place your head into your hands and press your palms into your forehead as if to push your head backwards. Resist using your neck muscles. 

Then clasp your hands together behind your head and push your head backwards, using your hands to resist. 

After you have toned your neck, it’s time to move onto the shoulders. 

Roll back your shoulders until your shoulder blades are touching, imagining you are holding an object such as a pencil between your shoulder blades, hold for 10 seconds before relaxing and repeating.

Beginning with your neck – place your head into your hands and press your palms into your forehead. Resist using your neck muscles. Then clasp your hands together behind your head and push your head backwards, using your hands to resist