Uncross your legs and start to strengthen your thighs while sitting in your office chair.
Image Credit: Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision/GettyImages If you’re one of the many Americans who works in an office environment, you’ll likely have to be seated for most of your workday. Fortunately, it’s possible to work out in the office, performing various different leg exercises while sitting at your desk.
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Read more: 9 Yoga Poses You Can Do at Your Desk Right Now
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Working Out at Your Desk
Many Americans live sedentary lifestyles. For some, this is further aggravated by the nature of their jobs. According to an April 2013 study in the Journal of Preventative Medicine, office workers spend two-thirds of their work hours sitting down.
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Sitting like this isn't good for your health. According to this study and a January 2013 study in the Journal of Applied Ergonomics, it increases your risk for various conditions, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders.
Many workplaces have implemented different types of workspaces to counteract these issues. This has led to the integration of more ergonomic or more active workspaces. For example, standing and height-adjustable desks have become increasingly popular. Even swapping out office chairs for exercise balls has become more common.
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However, not every workplace has made such changes. If yours still requires you to spend most of your time seated in an office chair, you're likely trying to figure out ways you can become healthier and more active.
There are countless exercises you can do while seated, from dumbbell curls and lateral shoulder raises to yoga poses. However, it can be much more challenging to think of leg exercises to do at your desk — you usually are seated, after all.
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Warning Even if you need to spend most of your workday sitting down, it's important to get up and walk around every so often. If possible, you should get up and move every 30 minutes or so, as recommended by an October 2017 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Fortunately, doing leg exercises while sitting at your desk can be easier than you might think. From stretches to resistance exercises, the American Council on Exercise recommends doing a range of different inner thigh exercises at your desk. Read more: Chair Exercises to Strengthen Legs
Inner Thigh Exercises While Seated
Tip Be sure to stretch before starting any leg exercises while sitting at your desk. Move 1. Resistance Band Hip Abduction Exercise
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Using an exercise band for resistance can help strengthen your inner thighs, like in this ACE-recommended hip abduction exercise.
Wrap an exercise band around your legs, just above your knees. Sit with your back straight against the chair with your knees bent. Keep your feet flat on the floor. Slowly move your knees away from each other and gradually bring them back together. Repeat 8-to-10 times.
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Move 2. Seated Jumping Jacks
Seated jumping jacks are one of the best inner thigh exercises at your desk. They can also help work your outer thighs.
Sit forward in your seat, so that you’re perched on the edge. Extend your arms and legs out to the sides. Open your legs as wide as possible, then bring them together. Once they’re together, squeeze your knees together. Repeat 8-to-10 times.
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Tip It's possible to do this exercise without moving your arms. It can also be done rapidly or slowly.
Move 3. Seated Squats The ACE also recommends a modified squat you can do from the edge of your chair.
Sit forward in your seat, so that you’re perched on the edge. Without using your arms, slowly rise up so that you come to a standing position. Lower yourself back down slowly. Repeat 8-to-10 times.
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Tip For added difficulty, hold the squat position so that you're briefly hovering over your chair.
There are even more options for inner thigh workouts at your desk if you can stand and incorporate your chair into your workout. Standing chair exercises include Bulgarian split squats, toe taps and various types of stretches.
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references
ACE: "Seated Workouts for Beginners: 5 Tips for Starting Exercise from Scratch"
ACE: "5-5-5 Chair Workout"
ACE: "5 Chair Exercises for Older Adults"
Applied Ergonomics: "Office Ergonomics Training and a Sit-Stand Workstation: Effects on Musculoskeletal and Visual Symptoms and Performance of Office Workers"
Preventative Medicine: "Reducing Sitting Time in Office Workers: Short-Term Efficacy of a Multicomponent Intervention"
Annals of Internal Medicine: "Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study"
references
ACE: "Seated Workouts for Beginners: 5 Tips for Starting Exercise from Scratch"
ACE: "5-5-5 Chair Workout"
ACE: "5 Chair Exercises for Older Adults"
Applied Ergonomics: "Office Ergonomics Training and a Sit-Stand Workstation: Effects on Musculoskeletal and Visual Symptoms and Performance of Office Workers"
Preventative Medicine: "Reducing Sitting Time in Office Workers: Short-Term Efficacy of a Multicomponent Intervention"
Annals of Internal Medicine: "Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study"
Uncross your legs and start to strengthen your thighs while sitting in your office chair.
Image Credit: Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Image Credit: Luis Alvarez/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Even if you need to spend most of your workday sitting down, it’s important to get up and walk around every so often. If possible, you should get up and move every 30 minutes or so, as recommended by an October 2017 study in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Be sure to stretch before starting any leg exercises while sitting at your desk.
It’s possible to do this exercise without moving your arms. It can also be done rapidly or slowly.
For added difficulty, hold the squat position so that you’re briefly hovering over your chair.
ACE: "Seated Workouts for Beginners: 5 Tips for Starting Exercise from Scratch"
ACE: "5-5-5 Chair Workout"
ACE: "5 Chair Exercises for Older Adults"
Applied Ergonomics: "Office Ergonomics Training and a Sit-Stand Workstation: Effects on Musculoskeletal and Visual Symptoms and Performance of Office Workers"
Preventative Medicine: "Reducing Sitting Time in Office Workers: Short-Term Efficacy of a Multicomponent Intervention"
Annals of Internal Medicine: "Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study"
