Another blog post from the desk of Ann Arbor chiropractor Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.

Some people are just plain busy and don’t always have time to exercise, they say. But wait, even with a busy schedule there are ways to squeeze in some exercise. And getting some exercise is generally better than getting none: studies back this up.

So, with no time to exercise optimally (that is, you don’t have the time for 30-40 minutes of exercise 5 to 6 times a week), you can still get some exercise in. There are several surprisingly convenient ways to get a bit of exercise without much change in your routine.

I’ve listed some below. When doing these exercises, remember to keep breathing at an even rate.

While Sitting at Your Desk

Slowly stretch your neck in all its ranges of motion. That is, slowly rotate your neck left, then right, then slowly sideways bend your neck toward your right shoulder and then your left shoulder then slowly flex your neck (bend forward) and then extend (bend backward) your neck. With all these stretches bend or rotate your neck gently to where it wants to stop, and then push just a bit beyond that point, in order to get a good stretch. Hold each neck stretch about 15 seconds.

Reach up towards the sky above your shoulders and hold for about 15 seconds.

Roll your shoulders forward and backward.

Reach up as high as you can with your right arm and hold about 15 seconds and then reach out sideways to the right as far as you can and hold for about 15 seconds. Now do the same with your left arm. 

Hug your knees. Bring your right knee up to your chest and hug for about 10 seconds and then allow the leg to go back down to the ground. Do the same thing with the left leg.

While Standing by Your Desk

Run in place 35-45 seconds, 3-4 times a day.

Do pushups at the edge of your desk

Do some squats. While standing, squat down – keeping your back straight – and then stand up straight again. Do 10 to 15 squats.

Do pretend jump roping. That is, do all the movements of jump roping, but without the rope.

Exercises When Not at Your Desk:

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Bike to work.

Get a walk in by parking your car farther away from your office or get off the bus or subway a stop or two early so that you can get more walking in than if were to get off at your usual stop.

Take a break from work to take a 10- to 15-minute walk.

These are just a few exercises and there are many more that can be done that will not interfere with your busy schedule. By the way, you can probably make up your own exercises that you can customize to fit the environment you find yourself in during daily activities.

If you have any questions about this blog post chiropractic, back pain, neck pain, or headaches, I can be reached at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office at [email protected].

The above information is for educational purposes only and is not considered medical advice.