Standing desks give workers a great alternative to sitting down all day and many companies use them to provide increased energy and productivity in the workplace. However, another benefit of standing desks is that they allow you to perform a range of exercises while you work. Instead of confining you to a chair, they give you more freedom and range of motion.

In this post, we’ll give you 5 of the best standing desk exercises you can do to stay active at work.

Standing Desk Exercises You Should Be Doing

Keep aches and pains at bay by adding these exercises to your routine.

1. Calf Raises

Even avid gym goers often forget to exercise their calves. Don’t neglect yours. Give them a good workout by performing this easy exercise at your desk.

Stand with both feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Raise your heels off the floor by standing on your toes and hold this position for a few seconds. Then, slowly bring your heels back down and repeat.

To make it more challenging, you can try doing one leg at a time.

2. Desk Push-Ups

Getting down on the office floor to do push-ups might seem a little inappropriate for the workplace. Plus, who knows how dirty that floor is. You can get a good upper body workout by doing desk push-ups while standing.

Start by placing your hands on your desk, shoulder-width apart. Stretch your legs out straight behind you, keeping your back straight and your core tight. Then, lower yourself down until your chest touches the desk, and push back up again.

3. Marching in Place

Do you want to get your heart rate up and burn off your lunch? You can burn up to 300 calories an hour just by marching in place.

As well as getting your body moving, this will also stimulate your brain. If you have trouble staying focused and getting over that mid-afternoon slump, this exercise should perk you up.

4. Shoulder Stretch

Back pain is one of the most common complaints of people who work in offices. You can ease the discomfort by performing this simple standing desk exercise as part of your routine.

Bring one arm across your chest. Use your other hand to pull your arm across, placing it just above the elbow. Hold for a few seconds and then change sides.

5. Lateral Leg Raises

This exercise will help to strengthen your adductor muscles and stabilize your core.

From a standing position, simply raise one leg out to the side. As you do so, keep your toes pointing forward. Hold it for a few seconds and then change sides.

If this is too easy, try doing it with a resistance band.

Be More Productive at Work

Standing desk exercises are a great way to keep you active, focused, and alert at work. As well as being more comfortable for employees, they’re also beneficial for a company as a whole. That’s because they make people more productive.

That’s not all you can do. To make your workplace more effective, there are several ways you can rearrange the office. To find out what they are, read our post on office setups for increased productivity.