5 Posture Exercises You Can Easily Do At Your Desk

Do you often struggle to maintain the correct position while you're working? Perhaps using some desk posture exercises can help you improve your posture and feel some relief regarding the back pain related to sitting in a bad position.

It is well-known that office workers suffer from lower back pain on a daily basis, mostly because they remain in a bad posture for prolonged periods. Although it is an ailment that affects a great part of the population, it often gets overlooked, and its origins remain unnoticed as people often associate them with other problems.

Bad posture and poor chair ergonomics are the main reasons people feel discomfort and ailments related to the spine daily. However, the following desk posture tips may help you find relief during your workdays.

Desk posture exercises: are they helpful?

According to experts, what works best to avoid lower back pain is to keep yourself in movement during your workday. This way, you will make sure that your spine takes a break from the pressure it feels while you're sitting in the same position in your everyday life.

However, a good posture is only one of the many benefits you'll enjoy by implementing these exercises. You will also enjoy many other benefits, such as an improved breathing process and blood flow. Both of these advantages will translate into better productivity as your focus will be improved, allowing you to complete tasks more efficiently.

So, how do you get started?

There are multiple exercises for sitting at a desk that any person can incorporate into their daily routines to improve their sitting posture.

Exercises you can use to improve posture at a desk

You will fund multiple exercises that you can use to improve your posture at your desk. It's not complicated to get started, and each exercise has detailed instructions on how to do it correctly.

1. Chair arm circles

The first option is one of the most effective chair exercises for lower back pain. It works best when you do forty repetitions for each direction.

• With your thumbs up, fold your fingers and make them press your palms’ top pads.
• While sitting in your chair, open your feet at the width of your hips. Place them parallel to the ground and pointing straight forward.
• Extend your arms to each side while pointing your thumbs forward and maintaining your palms down. Your shoulders should be placed to the back.
• Start moving your arms up and forwardly in a circular manner. Do it forty times for each side while maintaining your shoulders on the position mentioned above.
• Once done, put your palms up while maintaining your thumbs pointing backward. Then, you can start moving your arms up in circles and backward, in a fashion similar to the step mentioned above.

2. Triceps stretches

This is another simple desk posture exercise you can use while sitting on your SmartDesk. It’s a three-step process that’s easy to follow.

• If you’re sitting, try to keep your back as erect as possible. If you’re standing, please stand up upright.
• Raise either of your arms, bend it and place your hand on your shoulder. Make the opposite hand touch the elbow of the used hand, and bend your body towards the opposite side. For instance, if you're bending your left hand, move to the right, and so on.
• Repeat this process for the remaining side.

3. Upper body and arm stretch

The next desk posture exercises is one of the easiest standing desk exercises you can use. Like the previous one, you can also do it while sitting on your chair. Either option is equally effective. Follow these three-step instructions to get started with it:

• Clasp your hands and raise them on top of your head. The palms should be exposed to the air.
• Push your arms upright as much as you can, then maintain the pose.
• Try to stay in the same position from ten to thirty seconds.

If you’re looking for more balance board exercises, this is a great way to get started and follow a healthier path in life.

4. Stretch your neck

We wouldn’t categorize this desk posture exercises as one of the greatest standing desk exercises, but it can effectively alleviate neck pain.

You don't need to follow a complicated process. All you need to do is bend your neck to each side and make your ears touch your shoulders each time. It is a casual exercise you can use whenever you start feeling uncomfortable while sitting or when you're using your ergonomic standing desk.

Remember that one of the keys to avoiding feeling ailments related to the spine is to remain in the movement even if our jobs force us to focus on a screen for prolonged periods.

5. Cat and dog

Next up, we have the “cat and dog” exercise that has been mentioned in multiple posts around the web. It’s another posture exercise you can easily do at your desk while you’re sitting. Follow these steps to get those desk posture exercises started:

• While you’re sitting on your office chair, separate your feet to the width of your hips. Keep them parallel to the ground.
• This movement consists of rolling your back upward, imitating an angry cat so your body can form a semicircle, while you try to touch your chest with your chin. 
• After a short while, do the same process but point your chest upward while keeping your shoulders as back as possible – they should be touching the backrest of your chair.
• Last but not least, repeat this same process at least five times for each side.

Conclusion

These desk posture exercises can be used by any person at any time. If you want help to improve your back pain and start living a life free of ailments, all you need to do is incorporate healthy habits that help you improve your conditions and become a healthier version of yourself over time.

Standing desks are also an excellent alternative as they allow you to stand while you’re working, which has been proven to be hugely beneficial for any person.

Starting a healthier lifestyle can be challenging at first, but all your effort will be worth it in the end.