5 Exercises You NEED To Be Doing if You Have a Desk Job

When you sit for extended periods at a desk your body does it’s natural thing. It tightens up in the front and lengthens and weakens in the back.

I bet you can feel the affects of this in your body.

Does your back ache? Neck hurt? Do your joints feel stiff? Are your feet sore?

These are all symptoms of dysfunctional movement patterns. Really, it should be called a lack-of-movement pattern.

The only way to combat these are with movement. There are stretches and exercises you can do in the office, the gym and at home that offset the consequences of prolonged sitting. I challenge you to give 30 days to begin moving again and feeling better.

The Exercises

RDL= Romanian Dead Lift

1. Stand tall, heels under the hips.
2. Bend over by pushing the hips back while keeping the shoulders back and down. Push as far back as you can, feeling the weight shift from the full foot to just the heel. You may feel a stretch in the back of the leg, stop the range of motion before it gets too tight.
3. Stand up by driving through the heels and pressing the hips forward to finish in a tall, standing position.

Note: the shin MUST stay vertical and if using any weight be sure to keep the weight as close to body as possible.

SL RDL= Single Leg Romanian Dead Lift

1. Shift all your body weight to stand on one leg.
2. Maintaining an erect posture, keep the shoulders down and back and begin to raise the un-weighted heel back and up. Heel toward the ceiling. Make sure to bend from the hip, maintaining a straight line from ankle to ear of moving leg. Use a support for the first few reps. Don’t let your hip rotate, you’ll know that it did if your leg turns to the side. If your knee stays down toward the floor, you’re good to go. Move into the end position only as far as the base hamstring allows, you will feel a stretch. Stop there.
3. Return to the first position by lowering the leg. Be sure your toe is directly in front of your heel, and your foot is not rolled to the side.

Note: Be sure to the glute of the moving leg remains contracted to protect the low back.

Band PAs= Band Pull Aparts

1. In an upright posture AND while contracting the abdominals and glutes, hold a band with your palms down and arms straight out in front of your body. Your hands should be about 6 inches apart and right below shoulder level.
2. Lock the elbows into a soft bend and stretch the band by pulling your hands apart. Be sure to pivot the movement from the shoulder, not moving the elbows AT ALL.  Imagine pressing the little finger toward the wall behind you. As you do the movement, the band should move toward the body and make contact just under the chest.
3. Return to the original position by SLOWLY letting the band pull your hands back together.

Note: To make this more challenging, perform it while standing on one leg, in a half kneeling split position or in a single leg squat position.

PWs= Prone W’s

1. Lie on your stomach, your big toes touching the ground and heels toward the sky, with your glutes contracted. Rest your arms on the ground above you, slightly wider than shoulder width. Your head and arms will make a “W” on the ground.
2. The movement begins by lifting the wrist/hand off the ground about 1 inch, THEN, while keeping the wrist and elbow in the same plane, lift the arms only as high as maintaining the plane, squeezing your shoulder blades together and down. Be sure to slightly tuck the chin (give yourself a double chin) and keep both eyes on the ground. This promotes a neutral cervical spine.
3. Hold at the top squeezing your shoulder blades and glutes for 1 full second.
4. Slowly reverse the movement back to the first position.

Note: This entire movement is slow. It should take about 2 – 5 seconds to rise to the top then another 2 – 5 seconds to lower back down.

BR= Band Row

The row can be performed vertically or horizontally to the body. Wherever you anchor the band will mostly determine this, even though it is simply a matter of body position.

For a Horizontal Row

1. Anchor the band along a pole or on a door knob (to use a door knob, loop it around the back knob and shut the door firmly). Grasp the band in both hands with your arms straight out in front of you.
2. Keep your shoulders back and down and pull the band to the navel or slightly below.
3. Return your arms forward to the original position.

For a Vertical Row

1. Anchor the band with your feet. Hold the band in both hands at knee height. Flex forward at your hips into a comfortable angle. You can change the angle as needed to get a stronger contraction or to manage back pain.
2. Pull the band up backward keeping your elbows tight along your sides. Be sure to keep your shoulders back and down during the entire movement.
3. Return your arms down/forward to the original position.

Note: To make either of these more challenging, perform in a squat position, half kneeling split position or in a single RDL position.

TLIH in 1/2= Towel Lat Isometric Hold in 1/2 Kneeling Position

This is mainly for restoring tall posture.

1. Wrap a towel around a door knob.
2. In the ½ kneeling position, grasp both of the towel ends and contract the glute of the back leg (the one with the knee on the ground)
3. Tighten the abdominals and slowly pull tension on the towel. Be sure to keep a level chin and pull your shoulders down and back. The elbows should be straight and relaxed.
4. Hold this isometric contraction of the body WHILE BREATHING for 8-10 seconds then slowly relax.
5. Rest for several seconds then repeat for the given rep range.

Be sure to switch leg positions with each set to maximize equal hip flexor stretch and glute activation.

EP w/ CTF= Elbow Plank w/ Chin Tuck Focus

1. Lying on your stomach, bring your elbows under the shoulder and hold your forearms parallel.
2. Pressing into the floor, lift your body off the ground supporting your weight on the forearms and toes.
3. While holding the plank, engage through the forearms by pulling your body toward the feet to contract the back muscles. This will create a total body tension feel.

Note: There should be no pressure in the low back. If you do feel pressure, “scoop” the hips up.

If you cannot hold the long position, try either elevating the hips more or moving to the knees until your torso is able to engage/ contract on demand.

Free Printable 30 Day Challenge

Get the Proper Equipment

You want to use the right stuff so you can get the best workout with the least amount of effort. Why do 30 minutes with bad equipment when you can do half the amount and get the same results?

Here are some of the bands and weights that I personally own and that some we use in our gym to train clients. Click on any of the images below for more information about them.

I’ll update this post with some good photos to show the proper form soon.

But for now, get out there and start moving.

Your desk is waging war on your body every day. Don’t let it win, this is your body.