Work From Home Exercises

Last year was a tough year for many people. For those of us in the healthcare field, long days, new regulations and the ever-present fear of COVID-19 were huge challenges to overcome. But challenges weren’t exclusively present to healthcare workers. Many of our patients, friends and families were affected by the chaos of 2020. Now, many of the adult clients that we see have jobs that require them to sit throughout the day in a work from home setting. This can put them at a greater risk of injury, obesity, diabetes and depression. Knowing this, it’s our job to help them stay healthy until we can see them again. Here are some home exercises patients can do to help their health: 

Desk-Side Stretches – 10 minutes every hour while sitting at your desk 

Neck, Shoulders and Upper Back: Many people probably already do this one! Simply shrug the shoulders slowly up and down as you exhale deeply and slowly. Tilt your head slowly up and down as far as is comfortable and hold for a few seconds. Repeat or combine with other stretches. 

Torso and Abdomen: Turn to your right, grab the back of the chair with your right hand and the arm of the chair with your left hand and take a deep breath. Hold for a few seconds and then slowly breathe out. Repeat on the other side. 

Legs: This is a good one to do while continuing to work. While in your chair, extend your legs straight in front of you and alternate flexing the feet and the toes. This can also be done while lifting the legs in the air for even more exercise as outlined below. Repeat or combine with other stretches. 

Exercises – Whenever you have a short break 

Leg Raises: This one can be combined with the leg stretch mentioned above. While in your chair, simply alternate lifting the legs. This helps strengthen the hips and thighs all while promoting blood flow in your lower extremities.  

Fitness Ball: A fitness ball is a relatively inexpensive piece of equipment and is a good way to fit in a quick exercise at home. Simply exchange a typical desk chair with a fitness ball to improve balance as well as strengthen core muscles.  

Chair Squats: An easy way to fit in some movement is to simply stand-up and then sit back down while engaging the core. Repeat in sets of 10 or combine with other exercises.  

Glute Flex: This can be done without anyone else even noticing. Flex the glutes as tightly as you can for 10-30 seconds and then release. Repeat three times or combine with other exercises.  

Working from home has a lot of people feeling sluggish. By incorporating these stretches and exercises into our patient’s everyday routines, we can help them maintain their health in-between sessions with us. Implementing a work exercise routine can boost patient mood and overall well-being too! Become a NARA member to take advantage of our resources for rehabilitation providers.