Workplace workouts help to de-stress

Stretching exercises while sitting at your workplace is good for the health and helps you relax

Despite your busy schedule at office, if you can manage to find time for simple workouts, even while sitting at your workplace, it can do wonders. Office workouts will help you relax and fight stress.

Vijay Saradhi, chief instructor at Talwalkar's Fitness Studios, and Kamlesh Futnani, a Reebok certified fitness instructor, assert that stretching exercises are particularly helpful. "Most of our postures, are geared towards bending forward, whether it is driving a car, or sitting at one's desk in the office. If people give some time to these simple stretching exercises, they can get rid of health problems like backaches", says Futani.

Shoulder rotation: Sit with your back straight, roll your shoulders first anti-clockwise and then clockwise for 25 counts each.

Stand with your right side against the wall, go up on your toes, look up and reach as far up the wall with your right hand as possible. Repeat on the left side. ? Your arm muscles tend to get tired and stiff from holding the mouse all day long. To work those muscles, do the forearm and bicep stretch. Take your right arm straight out in front of you and turn the palm up. Hold the fingers with the left hand and gently pull them back. Hold for 30 seconds, change hands.

Shoulder stretch: Sit on the chair with feet placed wide. Bend down, bring your arms inside the legs and wrap them around the back of the calves, grabbing on to the ankles. Gently pull with the hands to open the shoulders and stretch the upper back. Hold for 30 seconds.

Back stretch: Sit on a chair. Contract the abdomen as you bend forward from the hips and bring the hand down to the floor. Re lax the head down and touch the floor with your fingertips to stretch your back. Hold for 30 seconds.

SOME DO'S AND DON'TS:

• Always check with your doctor before beginning any exercise routine. Do as much as you can and increase counts slowly, never over strain yourself.
• Wait for at least five minutes to sit or lie down after a meal. If in the office, walk up and down the staircase a couple of times, or walk around the floor. ? Walk over to your colleagues' desk in the office instead of using email or phone.
• Be aware of your postures. Sit, stand and walk straight. This will strengthen the muscles of your back and abdomen and improve your appearance and confidence. ? To reduce eye strain from looking at the computer screen for too long, sit about two feet away from the monitor, blink more often, and focus on a distant object every 15 minutes.