Moving at your desk keeps your body active, without having to go to the gym. After a long day of sitting you often feel stiff and sluggish, while with a few simple exercises, standing more often and walking now and then, you already break up that sitting. If you want to stay in motion the whole workday, a treadmill for under your desk helps you with that, but you can start today with the tips below.
Why is moving at your desk important?
Moving at your desk is important because your body isn't made to sit still eight hours a day. Research suggests that prolonged uninterrupted sitting is associated with a greater chance of stiffness, slower blood circulation and an energy dip halfway through the afternoon.
You don't need to free up an hour for it. A few minutes of movement at a time can already contribute to a more flexible body and a fresher head, and many home workers notice that they refocus more easily after such a short movement break. Your concentration and your mood in the afternoon often improve as well, allowing you to work more productively through the rest of the day.
Good to know: half an hour of exercise after work doesn't fully compensate for a whole day of sitting. It's precisely spreading small movements throughout your workday that makes the difference, and that's exactly what makes moving at your desk so accessible.
Exercises at your desk for in between
You do exercises at your desk between two tasks, without special clothing or extra space. You only need your chair, your desk and a minute.
Below are three types of exercises you can alternate throughout the day. You get the best effect by repeating them a few times a day, not only when you're already completely stuck.
Stretching exercises for your upper body
Stretching exercises keep your upper body flexible when you sit behind a screen a lot. Roll your shoulders calmly backwards a few times and then let them drop completely. Turn your head slowly from left to right and bring it back to the center.
Finally, stretch your arms above your head, grab your wrist and bend slightly sideways to release the tension in your back. Do every movement calmly and stop as soon as it becomes uncomfortable.
Simple leg exercises on your office chair
Leg exercises on your office chair get your legs moving while you remain seated. Stretch one leg straight out in front of you, hold it up for a few counts and then switch sides.
Then lift your knees alternately towards your chest, as if you're stepping in place while seated. These small movements restart the blood circulation in your lower body, something that often stalls after a long meeting.
A short breathing exercise against tension
A breathing exercise helps clear your head when work piles up. Sit upright, breathe in calmly through your nose while counting to four. Hold your breath for two counts and then breathe out slowly through your mouth.
Repeat this three times. Many people feel calmer afterwards and notice that there's room in their head again to continue.
Standing work at your desk
Standing work at your desk breaks up long sitting without having to interrupt your work. A sit-stand desk lets you alternate between sitting and standing typing, so your posture changes throughout the day. A commonly heard advice is to switch between sitting and standing approximately every half hour, so you don't hang in the same position for hours.
Don't immediately stand upright for a whole day, because prolonged standing also becomes tiring. Build it up calmly and listen to your body. Also place your screen at eye level, so you don't have to look down hunched over and your neck is less strained.
Walking while working on a desk treadmill
Walking while working on a desk treadmill is the way to keep moving all day while you type, read or call. You walk at a calm pace, often between 1 and 3 kilometers per hour, low enough to operate your mouse and speak clearly during a video call. This way you make steps without losing a minute of work time.
Our desk treadmills are specially built for this. They're foldable and easy to store under your desk or along the wall, and the motor is quiet: with our walking pads the sound stays around 65 dB(A), comparable to a normal conversation.
Models like the WalkingPad A1 Pro work with FootSense technology, sensors in the walking surface that automatically adjust your pace to where you stand on the belt. A desk treadmill is intended for walking during work, not for intensive training.
If you really want to sweat, you better do that outside your working hours on a running treadmill with a higher pace. For calm walking next to your desk, a low speed is exactly ideal, and the first times walking and typing simultaneously takes some getting used to. Most people have mastered it after a day or so.
How to make moving at your desk a habit
Moving at your desk works best when it becomes a fixed part of your day instead of something you try to do on the side. Link your movement moments to something you already do: stand up with every phone call, stretch after a completed task and walk a round while the kettle is on.
Start with one or two of these moments per day. A small habit you maintain yields more than a strict schedule that strands after a week.
Optionally set a short reminder in your calendar, so you help yourself along in the first weeks. If you want to go from loose movement moments to continuous movement while working, a treadmill is an accessible next step.
You can calmly try our desk treadmills at home and experience for yourself how it feels to get through your workday while walking. Choose the setup that fits your space and work rhythm, and build it up bit by bit.
