A 10-Minute Routine for Desk Workers You Can Do Between Meetings

If you spend most of your day at a desk, you probably know the feeling. Stiff hips when you stand up. A tight upper back by 3pm. Knees that complain on the stairs.

Most people call that being tight. Usually it’s your body not getting enough load in the positions it needs. Sitting still all day doesn’t build much strength, and the parts that don’t get used start to feel stiff.

Why “tight” usually means weak

The good news is that a little bit of movement, done often, goes a long way. Here’s a 10-minute routine you can do in a meeting room, a quiet corner of the office or your lounge room. No equipment. No change of clothes.

The routine

Do each exercise once, rest as little as you need, then repeat the whole thing. Two rounds takes about ten minutes.

• Sit to stand, 10 reps. Stand up from your chair, then sit back down slowly, taking three seconds on the way down.
• Desk push-ups, 10 reps. Hands on the edge of a solid desk, body in a straight line, chest towards the desk and back.
• Hip hinge, 10 reps. Hands on hips, soft knees. Push your hips back until you feel your hamstrings, then stand tall and squeeze your glutes.
• Split squat, 6 reps each side. One foot forward, one back, and lower your back knee towards the floor. Hold the desk for balance if you need it.
• Calf raises, 15 reps. Up onto your toes, pause, and lower slowly.
• Half-kneeling hip flexor stretch, 30 seconds each side. Kneel on one knee, squeeze the glute on that side and shift forward gently.
• Standing rotation, 5 each side. Cross your arms over your chest and turn your upper body slowly, as far as is comfortable.

Move with control and stay in a range that feels comfortable. If something hurts, stop, and check with your GP or physio before carrying on.

How to make it stick

The routine is the easy part. Doing it on a busy day is the hard part. A few things that help:

• Attach it to something you already do, like after your first meeting or before lunch
• Book it in your calendar as a 10-minute meeting with yourself
• Do one round if one round is all you’ve got. One round still counts

This won’t replace proper training, but it will make long days feel better, and it builds the habit of moving every day. That habit makes everything else easier.

When you’re ready for more

If you want a plan built around your body and your calendar, that’s what we do. Our clients include public servants, lawyers, doctors and executives who train with a coach for as little as an hour a week and still make real progress.

How we coach busy professionals in Canberra

Start with a complimentary Back Yourself Session and we’ll work out what fits your week.