Deskercise: Tone your legs while you work

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Your shoulders are tensed and hunched, you’re slumping in front of your monitor, your neck cracks ominously and there’s that teeny tiny little nagging pain in your lower back.

Why? Because every day you’re mostly sitting: at your desk, in the car, in front of the TV.

It’s a difficult cycle to break … you have to work and drive. And TV? Well, everybody needs some veg time.

To help you out, we’re presenting a monthly series of everyday exercises to keep your deskbound body and mind in tune and avoid the type of repetitive stress disorders that local physical therapists say are becoming commonplace.

This month, we look at a basic exercise that works your legs.

Remember: Perform all exercises slowly to build muscle — as slowly as you can without shaking. Seriously. Slow it down, there.

Andy Rathbun

Other tips

Put a sticky note on your monitor. When you notice the note, tighten your glutes and slowly release.

Stand up at your desk. Put your hands on your hips and slowly raise yourself onto the balls of your feet, lowering yourself slowly.

See the rest of the tips at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/deskercise.

Sources

Maggie Strazzo, Summit Rehabilitation Mill Creek, 425-316-5090, www.summitrehab.com

Marty Stanton, NorthSound Physical Therapy, Smokey Point, 360-651-8880, www.northsoundpt.com