23 Desk Exercises at Work to Relieve Tension & Boost Focus

If you have ever spent hours glued to your desk, you have probably felt stiff, achy, and brain-dead. Sure, you can power through the fatigue, but ignoring that nagging pain in your neck, back, or shoulders is tough. If your desk is starting to feel like a torture chamber, you’re not alone. 

Research shows that sedentary behavior can increase your risk of premature death and other serious health issues. Desk exercises at work are a practical way to break up long periods of sitting and relieve the stress on your mind and body. 

In this guide, we’ll explore the benefits of desk exercises and seated stretches at work and provide simple, practical exercises you can do at your desk to improve posture, boost productivity, and relieve stress. 
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Pliability's mobility app can help you reach your goals. With easy-to-follow videos and customizable routines, you can discover the best desk exercises at work for your specific needs and create a plan to improve your performance and relieve stress.

Can I Exercise at My Desk?

The Case for Desk Exercises at Work

Sitting at a desk all day can be deadly. As we work, we sit more than we do anything else. We're averaging 9.3 hours daily, compared to 7.7 hours of sleeping. Sitting is so prevalent and pervasive that we don't even question how much we do it. And everyone else is doing it also, so it doesn't even occur to us that it's not okay. In that way, I've come to see that sitting is the smoking of our generation... 

After just one hour of sitting, the production of enzymes that burn fat declines by as much as 90%. Not only that, the body's metabolism slows, and after just 20 minutes, blood begins to pool in your legs, and pressure builds up in your spine. Sitting for extended periods every day also dramatically increases your risk of deep vein thrombosis and lowers life expectancy.- Nilofer Merchant, Harvard Business Review

When you are sedentary at work, you can forget about the gym. Try to incorporate movement into your day instead. If you're desk-bound for most of the workday, a lunchtime walk isn't your only option for exercise. Depending on your office situation, you could fit cardio and strength training into your workday. - Eric Moogerfeld, DPT

Desk Exercises Can Help You Stay Healthy at Work

If you aren't using proper posture at your desk, watching what you eat, or attempting to offset long hours behind a computer with some physical activity, it can quickly take its toll on your body. And the side effects of sitting at a desk every day are far-reaching, from obesity and chronic neck and back pain to carpal tunnel syndrome. Fortunately, there is no shortage of ways to actively counteract these effects and keep your health in check without quitting your desk job and searching for a new career.

"If you’re desk-bound for most of the workday, a lunchtime walk isn’t your only option for exercise, says physical therapist and athletic trainer Eric Moogerfeld, DPT.

“Depending on your office situation, you could fit cardio and strength training into your workday,” Dr. Moogerfeld says. Below’s what he recommends for exercising at your desk.

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23 Best Desk Exercises You Can Do at Work

1. Neck Rolls: A Simple Move to Alleviate Stress on the Neck

If you sit with incorrect posture, your monitor too low or high, or simply for extended periods, neck strain can be a serious issue. Using some yoga neck rolls can help fight this. Sit up straight in your chair and lean your head forward. Rotate it clockwise for 10 to 15 seconds, then switch to rotating counterclockwise. You can also slightly lean your head to the left, place your right hand against the right side of your head, and press against your hand with your head to work the muscles in your neck. Repeat for the other side.

2. Seated Leg Extension: A Great Exercise to Strengthen Your Thighs

Your quadriceps (thighs) are the biggest muscle group in your body — and you can strengthen them without leaving your desk chair. 

How to do a seated leg extension

Sit in your chair, ensuring your thighs are parallel to the ground (adjust the seat height if necessary). 
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• Keep your arms at your sides and my back straight. 
• Slowly extend your right leg and keep your foot flexed. 
• Don’t lock your knee. 
• Aim to raise your leg as high as you can without pain. 
• Return to the starting position. 
• Repeat on the left side. 
• Try to do 10 on each side. 
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Dr. Moogerfeld suggests you keep some ankle weights on my desk to make the move harder once you get stronger.

3. Lower Back Stretch: Relieve Stress on Your Lower Back

Most of the stress of a sedentary lifestyle is put on the back, especially the lower back. You can relieve this stress by standing up and reaching for your toes for 10 to 30 seconds. An alternative to touching your toes is to remain seated in your chair, widen your knees to roughly shoulder width, and bring your head towards your knees. Letting my head drop will help stretch my lower back and relieve pressure. I can also interlock my fingers behind my back and extend upwards to help work and stretch out my shoulders simultaneously. Doing one of these exercises once every hour for approximately one minute, you will notice reduced stress on your lower back.

4. Spinal Twist: A Desk Exercise to Help You Relieve Back Tension

Another way to relieve your back is by sitting in your chair sideways, gripping the top with both hands and pulling your body towards the back of the chair. Do this two to three times and hold for 10 seconds, then switch to the other side.

5. Isometric Muscle Strengthening: Sneaky Desk Exercises to Try

“Isometrics involve contracting (squeezing) and relaxing muscles one at a time,” Dr. Moogerfeld explains. “And it’s the sneakiest way to exercise at work since no one will know you’re doing it.” Focus on one muscle group at a time, contract it, and hold for three to 10 seconds (depending on your fitness level). Work up to three sets of 10 repetitions. 

Butt clenches (glutes)

Squeeze your glute (butt) muscles as hard as you can and hold. You can do it sitting or standing. 

Desk push (core)

Stand and place my hands on a table or desk. Try to push the surface to the ground. You should feel my entire core engage. 

Hand press (upper body)

Sitting at my desk, I press my palms together in front of my chest, with my elbows out to the side. Push my palms into each other and hold. It works on my biceps, chest, and triceps. 

Thigh press (lower body)

Sitting in my chair, place my palms against the outside of my knees. I push my knees against my palms, trying to open my legs.

6. Oblique Twist: A Simple Exercise to Strengthen Your Core

Oblique twists strengthen the muscles that run along either side of your abdomen. Strong obliques help burn fat, support your back, and create good posture. 

How to do an oblique twist
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• Sit at the edge of my desk chair with my feet flat on the floor.
• Contract my abs and sit back at a 45-degree angle. 
• Extend my arms straight in front of me. 
• Engage my core as I twist slowly to the right, keeping my arms aligned with my torso. 
• Pause and hold. 
• Now twist to the left side. 
• Pause and hold. 
• Rotate back to the front. That is one repetition (rep). 
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Make it more challenging by holding something in my hands (a weight, water bottle, or medicine ball) or lifting my knees so that my feet don’t touch the floor as I rotate.

7. Desk Planks and Pushups: Effective Exercises to Strengthen Your Core

Pushups and planks work my core and upper body at the same time. Consider doing a plank or a couple of pushups each time I get up from my desk — research shows the more pushups I can do, the lower my risk of cardiovascular disease. 

How to do planks and pushups
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• Place my hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of my desk. 
• Beginners can use a wall instead of a desk. 
• I walk my feet back, shifting my weight forward until my arms are straight and my body is in a straight line from shoulders to feet. 
• Keep my core and glutes tight while holding the position for 30 seconds to do a plank. 
• To do a pushup, lower my body toward the desk until my elbows bend to a 90-degree angle. 
• I push away until my arms are straight again. Aim for 10 reps.
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8. Chair Calf Raises: A Simple Way to Strengthen Your Calves

Your calves help you run, walk, jump, and balance. Calf raises strengthen them. Begin by doing calf raises while sitting. As you get stronger, put something heavy on my lap to add weight or perform calf raises while standing behind my chair. 

How to do calf raises with my chair
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• Sit straight in my chair, with my back unsupported and my feet shoulder-width apart. 
• Slowly raise my heels as if on my tiptoes and hold. 
• Release and lower my heels back to the ground. Do 10 reps.
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9. Chair Squats: An Effective Exercise to Strengthen Your Glutes

Weakened glutes and tight hip flexors can lead to “dead butt” syndrome — numbness and pain in the buttocks, hips, and lower back associated with sitting too much. Doing chair squats before I sit at my desk can help strengthen those areas, Dr. Moogerfeld says. 

How to do chair squats
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• Stand in front of my chair with my feet shoulder-width and toes pointing forward. 
• Keeping my chest and head up, I  bend my knees and drive my hips back as if I were going to sit in the chair. 
• Stop just above the chair and slowly rise back to the start position. 
• Aim for 10 reps.
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10. Hand and Finger Stretches: Simple Moves to Relieve Pain Caused by Typing

The most straightforward desk exercises are hand and finger stretches. Typing for long periods is known to cause repetitive strain injuries and tendinitis. Hand and finger stretches increase the range of motion and relieve stiff joints. Make a fist and hold it for 30 - 60 seconds. Open my palm and spread my fingers wide. Complete at least 4 repetitions with each hand.

11. Shadow Boxing: A Fun Way to Get Up and Move

Some office workouts are more fun than others. Tap into my inner boxer and take a few jabs to the air for stress relief. I can use full water bottles to add resistance to my punch.

12. Triceps Dips: An Easy Exercise to Do at Your Desk

Muscle groups worked

triceps and chest. 

How to do them
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• Begin in a seated position on my chair. 
• I put my palms flat on the chair, with my fingers facing away from me. 
• I keep my heels on the ground with my legs straight before me. 
• Lower myself, keeping my body close to the chair until my upper arms are almost parallel to the ground. 
• Return to the starting position and repeat for at least 10 reps.
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13. Squats: A Simple Exercise to Do at Your Desk

Muscle groups worked

quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. 

How to do them
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• Stand tall with my office chair behind me. 
• Keep my feet shoulder-width apart and my hands stretched out before me. 
• Lower down until my buttocks almost touch my chair, keeping my knees in line with my toes. 
• Return to the starting position and repeat 10 or more times.
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14. Desk Donkey Kicks: An Easy Glute Exercise to Do at Work

Muscle groups worked

glutes and hamstrings. 

How to do them
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• Place my hands on the edge of my desk with my legs slightly bent. 
• Tilt my torso forward so that my chest is parallel to the floor. 
• Push my hips back and bend my right leg 90 degrees, pressing my heel to the ceiling. 
• Slowly lower it back down to the starting position. 
• Repeat for at least 10 reps on each side.
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15. Pistol Squats: A Challenging Single-Leg Exercise

Muscle groups worked

quads, glutes, hamstring, and core. 

How to do them
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• Sit in my chair comfortably. 
• Place my right foot flat on the ground and extend my left leg in front of me. 
• Stand up on my right foot, extending my left leg in front of me. 
• Consider placing my hands on my hips for additional stability. 
• Repeat at least 5 times on each side.
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16. Jog in Place: Get Your Heart Pumping While You Work

Another standing exercise that will get my heart pumping is jogging in place. Doing this for 60 seconds can increase my heart rate and wake me up if I've been groggy. It's more effective than that sugary, quad-espresso latte I ordered this morning. Additionally, I can bring my needs up to or above waist height for more effective results.

17. “Run” in Place While Sitting: A Silly but Effective Seated Exercise

If I insist on remaining seated throughout the day or can’t spare a few seconds from my computer, I can pretend to run while sitting in my chair. Move my legs back and forth while moving my arms as if I were running. While this may sound and look silly, it will increase my heart rate and get the blood flowing again, which is the most crucial part. Again, bringing my knees up higher will provide better results.

18. Tap Your Toes: A Simple Way to Keep Your Heart Rate Up

In addition to the sit-and-run, as I’ll call it, I can simply tap my toes to bring my heart rate up. This isn’t as effective as running in place or doing 30 squats, but merely tapping my toes in an alternating pattern, as if I were running, can help me burn off a few extra calories (seriously, not much) while keeping my heart in check.

19. Carpal Tunnel Preventative Stretches: Simple Wrist Exercises to Perform at My Desk

Typing on a keyboard all day is terrible on my wrists. It typically puts them in unnatural positions for hours at a time, causing stress and pain in my joints and tendons, eventually leading to very painful and uncomfortable carpal tunnel syndrome. To help prevent this, I can do some simple wrist stretches once or twice per hour. Extend my arm outwards from my side and flex my hand up (palm facing away from my body). 

Pull back on my fingertips with my other hand and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. After releasing, bend my hand downward (palm facing towards my body) and pull it towards my body once more with the opposite hand. Swap hands and repeat two to three times. I can rotate my wrists in circular motions for 10 to 20 seconds, switching between clockwise and counterclockwise rotations.

20. Praying Hands: An Easy Wrist Stretch to Do at My Desk

Another wrist stretch is called the praying hands. Put the palms of my hands together around chin-level and slowly bring them towards my waist, keeping my arms close to my body. Lower them until I feel tension in my wrists and hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat as needed once or twice per hour.

21. Desk Curls: A Simple Way to Strengthen My Arms at Work

Another arm exercise I can perform at my desk is the curl. But instead of using a free weight, I will use the edge of my desk. This tip comes from Men’s Fitness magazine. With my chair close to the desk and my elbow at 90 degrees, I fist or open my palm and press against the bottom. Hold for six to 10 seconds for six repetitions. For similar arm exercises, Men’s Fitness has several that utilize my desk for resistance.

22. 4-7-8 Breathing Ritual: Relaxing Breathing Exercises for Stress Relief

One of the simplest and most discrete exercises I can do from my desk is controlling my breathing to reduce my heart rate. The breathing exercise I use every morning, night, and whenever I feel stress levels rising is the 4-7-8. With my feet placed flat against the floor, I breathe in for a count of four, hold my breath for seven, and breathe out forcefully (with tongue pressed against the ridge behind my front two teeth) for a count of eight. It sounds easy, but it may also require some practice to get it down right and become a helpful tool. 

When used correctly, it can lower my heart rate (helping me control my mood) and put me in a more relaxed state. In a high-stress situation, controlled breathing can help me gain a level mindset and get more done. It can also be used to ward off food cravings, says Dr. Andew Weil. This also helps me fall asleep at night when I’m particularly restless, but I don’t think that will help much when I’m on the clock … unless I’ve convinced my boss (or myself) of productive sleeping.

23. Side Stretches: Easy Desk Exercises to Relieve Tension in My Sides

The final exercise is one many of you probably already do – the side stretch. Raise my arm into the air and lean in the opposite direction as if I were reaching for something on a high shelf. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch arms. Repeat three to four times. This will stretch my sides and arms. Plus, it’s very discrete and probably won't attract the attention of my coworkers, unlike many of these exercises.

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Tips for Starting Desk Exercises at Work

Find a Desk Exercise Buddy at Work  

To help make desk exercises part of your routine, find a partner. Look for someone in your office trying to improve their health or get fit. This could be a coworker, a friend, or even your boss. Ask them to join you as you integrate desk exercises into your workday. You can even take turns picking exercises to keep things fresh and interesting. Sometimes, having a partner who can hold you accountable as you work to make desk exercises a regular part of your day is helpful.  

Make Desk Exercises a Fun Office Challenge  

Another great way to boost morale and get coworkers involved in desk exercises is to make it an office challenge—set goals for how many desk exercises to perform or steps to take over a week or month. You can also create a point system to reward different desk exercises or generate a leaderboard to make it competitive. The friendly competition can motivate you and your coworkers to improve your health and reduce sedentary behavior.  

Set Exercise Reminders Throughout the Day  

When you’re busy at work, it’s easy to lose track of time and forget to take breaks to exercise. To avoid this, set alarms or reminders on your phone or computer to help you remember to integrate desk exercises into your workday. You might also try a fitness app that will allow you to customize reminders to take breaks and perform specific exercises. After a while, you won’t need the reminders as you will have formed a new habit.  

Reward Yourself for Integrating Desk Exercises into Your Work Routine  

When integrating desk exercises into your work routine, give yourself something to look forward to. This will help make the process more enjoyable and motivate you to stick with it. For example, after you’ve completed a certain number of desk exercises or reached a new milestone in steps or strength, treat yourself to a reward. This could be a small item you've had your eye on or a break to enjoy a favorite snack.

“It’s easy for work to get in the way of working out,” Dr. Moogerfeld notes. “But the best way to avoid a sedentary lifestyle is to prioritize exercise and find ways to fit it in throughout the workday.”

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