24 Desk Exercises to Add To Your Work(out) Routine

August 14, 2023

In a perfect world, we’d exercise for the recommended 30 minutes a day, five days a week, and get up every half hour to stretch and move. But let’s be real: Life happens. Meetings pop up, schedules get packed, and workouts get delayed.

If you’ve ever wondered if you can exercise while sitting at your desk, the answer is yes. Even for just a few minutes before a meeting, you can take advantage of desk exercises that will get your body moving and feeling good — without a lot of effort.

We rounded up a list of some of the best desk exercises geared toward adding movement during work days. From wrist and neck stretches to desk planks and calf raises, there’s something for everyone — even those of us who get stuck on extra-long video calls.

How to exercise at your desk: 8 standing desk exercises that'll boost your mood and productivity

Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk

Artifox Standing Height Desk

Elements Desk

Simply using a standing desk is one way to get your body in a position that’s not sitting, which is a win in and of itself. Want to take it up a notch? Here are a few easy standing desk exercises that will give you a boost of energy, improve your productivity, and benefit your overall physical health and wellness.

Calf Raises
Lift your heels a few inches off the ground and lower them back down. Repeat as many times as you’d like. Just make sure your shoulders are relaxed with your head over your spine. Consider making this a moving meditation by breathing in when you lift your heels and breathing out when you touch them back to the ground.

Benefit: Works your calves and keeps your blood flow moving.

Hamstring Curls
While standing, lift one of your legs so you can grab the front part of your foot for a gentle hamstring stretch. Repeat on the other side.

Benefit: Stretches your hamstrings.

Standing Desk Push Ups
Make sure your desk is steady or up against the wall for this one. Put your palms on your desk about shoulder-width apart. Position your body in a standing plank with your legs stretched behind you. Lower your chest toward your desk almost touching it but not quite, and lift back up. Repeat as many times as you like.

Benefit: Builds your core, back, and arm muscles.

Hold a plank at your desk
Like the standing desk push ups, this desk exercise requires a steady and sturdy desk. With your hands pressed on your desk and your legs back, hold a plank. Shoot for 30 seconds, a minute, or maybe even two minutes. Don’t forget to breathe!

Benefit: Works on your core strength.

Walk in Place
This is a great exercise to do if you have a phone call or any meeting that doesn’t require you to be on camera. Why not get your steps in while you’re on the clock?

Benefit: Raises your heart rate and “warms up” your muscles.

Arm Stretches
Reach your arms up toward the sky and look up. Stretch over to one side of your body and then the other. You can also do this while sitting in your chair.

Benefit: Stretches your arm and releases tension in your back and shoulders.

Tree Pose
Put the bottom of your right foot on your left leg above or below your knee. Press your hands together and try to balance. This will engage your core and help you work on your balance.

Benefit: Helps with your balance and core strength.

Reach Toward Your Toes
Stand up tall and fold forward, reaching your hands toward your toes for a hamstring stretch. Don’t worry about how close your hands get to the floor — just be sure to put a bend in your knees and relax your head. Consider grabbing opposite elbows or clasping your hands and stretching your arms back to open up your shoulders.

Benefit: Stretches the back of your legs, relaxes your neck and shoulders.

Zody Upholstered Office Chair

8 chair exercises to do at your desk

All of these exercises can easily be done at your desk while sitting in a chair. Pro tip: Lock the wheels to avoid sliding across the floor.

Seated Cat-Cow
Put your hands on your knees, round your back and look toward your chest. Then, uncurl your back and look up gently. Repeat.

Benefit: Works your core and stretches your abs, back, shoulder, and neck.

Chair Core Twists
In a seated position with your feet flat on the floor, put your hands behind your neck with your elbows wide apart. Twist from your core to bring one elbow toward your mid-line and return to the middle. Then do the other side. Keep your core engaged.

Benefit: Works your core and releases tension in your back.

Chair Side Twists
While seated, put your right hand on the right side of your chair. Reach your left arm over your head and glance up. Repeat on the other side. (Be sure to be in a sturdy chair for this one.)

Benefit: Stretches the sides of your torso, neck, and arms.

Tricep Dips
Only perform this exercise if your chair doesn't have wheels or if the wheels can lock. Put your palms flat on the chair, with your knuckles facing toward your desk, and shift your glutes off the chair. Make sure your knees are pointing straight ahead and your feet are flat on the floor. Bend your elbows and once your upper arms are about parallel with the floor, go back up. Repeat.

Benefit: Works the muscles in your upper arms and core.

Wrist Stretches
Reach your arm in front of you as if you’re giving the air a high-five. Stretch each finger back one at a time, and then stretch all of your fingers back for a wrist stretch. Move to the other side. Shake your hands gently at the end for a feel-good stretch.

Benefit: Stretches your fingers and wrists.

Wrist Chair Stretches
Put your palm on your chair with your fingers facing away from you (toward the back of the chair). Do some gentle circles in both directions. Move to the other side.

Benefit: Stretches your wrists, which helps prevent carpal tunnel.

Shoulder Rolls
Roll your shoulders up toward your ears and backward, then roll them back and forward. Repeat in both directions a few times.

Benefit: Helps your posture and loosens tight muscles in your neck and shoulders.

Arm Circles
Reach your arms out to your sides with your palms facing the ground, and make small circles in both directions.

Benefit: Works your triceps, biceps, and shoulder muscles.

8 under-desk exercies to do during video calls

These exercises can be done under your desk while you’re sitting — especially helpful if you're on video calls throughout the day.

Glute Squeeze
Sit tall with your shoulders relaxed and head over your spine. Squeeze your glutes for 15-30 seconds and release. Repeat.

Benefit: Works your glutes.

Thigh Press
As you sit in your chair, put your hands on the outside of your knees and press your knees against your palms as if you’re trying to move your hands away. Hold for 10-15 seconds and release. Repeat.

Benefit: Works your quads and glutes.

Leg Extensions
While sitting, extend your left leg in front of you and hold for 15 seconds or longer. Move to the other leg.

Benefit: Works your legs and core.

Heel Slide
With your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, flex your left foot with your heel still on the floor and your toes pointing up. Slide your heel away from you, then slide it back. Repeat 10-15 times, then move to the other foot.

Benefit: Stretches your calves and keeps your blood flow going.

Desk Press
Flip your palms to face up underneath your desk. Press your palms against the bottom of your desk and hold for 10-15 seconds. Release and repeat as many times as you’d like.

Benefit: Works your fingers and wrists and biceps.

Toe Stretches
Make sure your feet are flat on the ground. Lift your big toes up toward the ceiling, then touch them back to the floor. Lift the other four toes with your big toe still pressed on the floor. Repeat and move to the other side.

Benefit: Elongates and relaxes your toe muscles.

Foot Tapping
Squeeze in a mini "walk" right at your desk. For 30 seconds, tap your feet up and down while sitting tall in an aligned position with your core engaged.

Benefit: Keeps the blood flow in your legs going.

Ankle Alphabet
This exercise from Harvard Health recommends moving your big toe as if it’s a pencil and drawing out the alphabet. Repeat on both sides.

Benefit: Builds foot and ankle strength.

Fern Office Chair

Bonus: 5 tools & tips for exercising at your desk

You don’t have to rely on willpower and motivation alone to exercise at your desk. Hack your WFH setup with these bonus tools and tips, and sneak in some healthy habits while you’re still on the clock.

Ergonomic Chairs

Ergonomic chairs will help you have better posture and reduce persistent aches and pains. In addition to helping you physically, ergonomic chairs are known to boost creativity and productivity, and can potentially increase attention spans.

At Haworth, our ergonomic chairs are designed based on over 20 years of science-backed research. The goal: Deliver support and comfort from head to toe that helps you feel better.

Fern Office Chair: Each chair features built-in lumbar support that will cradle your lower back. Plus, there’s an optional adjustment that moves in the 3.5" range to give you everything you want in a chair — and much more.

Zody Office Chair: The Zody Office Chair is built on over two decades of independent field studies and knowledge. That makes it one of the most researched chairs on the market. It's available in leather, mesh, digital knit, and a fully upholstered option.
Soji Mesh Office Chair: A cool choice for those who run hot, the Soji Mesh Office Chair is made with airy mesh naturally helps regulate your body temperature while providing support and comfort.

Standing Desks

One of the most efficient ways to improve your WFH routine is to stand more. Make it easy on yourself by investing in a standing desk that can help mitigate chronic body pain, improve your posture, and increase blood circulation.

Upside Sit-to-Stand Desk: One of our best-sellers, our Upside Sit-to-Stand Extended Range with Programmable Paddle desk has an adjustable height range, durable surface, and plenty of space for papers, accessories, file folders, you name it.
Ergotron LearnFit Sit-to-Stand Desk: This desk is ideal for those who want a mobile desk that can easily be shifted into different spaces. It’s spacious, simple to use, and height-adjustable. There’s also an integrated cupholder, tablet slot, and pencil holder.

Treadmill desks & under-desk ellipticals

Want to take your desk exercise to the next level? Pairing a standing desk with a treadmill is an efficient way to get your body moving without distracting from your work day. You can also consider an under-desk elliptical, which can be used for a workout while sitting in your desk chair.

Stay Hydrated

Taking breaks to fill up your water glass not only keeps you hydrated but also gets you out of your chair and moving. Set a goal to get up to fill your glass a certain amount of times per day.

Foam Rollers

Using a foam roller for a few minutes a day is a simple way to release tension and soreness from your muscles after a long day of work. Bonus: Foam rollers can be easily stored below your desk or in a corner of your home office.

Can you exercise at your desk? Yes!

Maximizing your movement in small ways can be just the thing to transform your WFH routine and overall wellness. A quick stretch can help slow your heart rate down before a big meeting. On the other hand, a few minutes of walking in place can boost your mood and squeeze a low-impact workout into your schedule. Take a moment to try out an exercise, and look forward to a better day ahead.