Desk Stretches with Coach Elyse

Add movement to your day and improve your health

All you need is 15 minutes a day

Have you been sitting awhile? Adding movement to your workday can make a big difference in your mental and physical well-being! Even a few minutes can help you feel more focused and less stiff. Join Coach Elyse in her home office for a few minutes of feel-good stretching right at your desk. Your body and mind will thank you.  

These movements are great for those who are now working remotely because of COVID-19 or those who are at the office working at a desk.

Chair Exercise

One of the things I want to highlight is what you can do simply with your chair. You can do half-squats just above your chair, or you can step slightly away from your chair and do a full-body squat. These are easy to do when you’re taking a break in-between meetings. This allows us to just get some movement in. We often sit for a long time during the workday.

Strength Movement

Another movement that I really like, is push-ups. We often spend a lot of our day hunched over at our desks. Doing a pushup can be a great way to expand your chest. When doing these, you want to create a nice line through your spine, keeping your gaze straight ahead. There are many ways to perform a pushup dependent upon what strength level you are currently at. 

Here are three variations:

  • Beginner – Wall push-up: Stand near a wall, pushing toward it
  • Intermediate – Desk incline: Place your hands on the edge of your desk, legs extended behind you, and push toward your desk
  • Advanced – Full Extention: Hands and feet are on the ground, back is parallel with the ground, pushing up and down

Balance

Another movement to consider is balance. Use what you have, the carpet, floor, or you can utilize a balancing platform. Balance is really important. For safety, make sure you have your desk or a wall to help stabilize your movements. Start by standing on one foot. You can progress by letting go of your desk or wall. Progressing even further, you can slightly bend the knee of your standing leg or bending your body forward. Working on your balance is important for long-term health, helping prevent trips and falls. And it’s super easy to do, right at your desk.

Micro habits

Whether you’re working from home or at the office, you’re likely putting in around an 8-hour workday. My challenge to you is to focus just 3% of your day on these new movements, helping to build a habit around adding new movements to support your overall well-being. This is just around 15 minutes per day – which can be broken up over the day to be 2 minutes per hour. These are just short breaks and I encourage you to get up, get moving, and to make your body as fit as you can.


This video and tips from Aduro’s Human Performance Coach is just one of many examples of how our corporate wellness programs go beyond the traditional offering. We offer relevant content and programing employees can use to make improvements in their everyday lives.

Learn more about Aduro’s coaching and well-being programs.