Save yourself from the side effects of a desk job
If you're a 9-5'er, and you're not aware of the easy solutions tside effects of a desk job, you need to understand and tackle them before they cause any harm to you. Gamification can solve them!
Your work is contributing to the society, helping humankind prosper. Also, you are providing well for your family and cherish a hassle-free desk job. But if you are reading this then you are aware of the persisting health problems people with a desk job suffer.
Severity and Vague Solutions
Moreover, the prominent diseases include cardiovascular ailments, diabetes, carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, gluteus medius tendinosis(dead-butt syndrome), neck pain, colon cancer, musculoskeletal disease, obesity, etc. Most of the above disease are caused indirectly by stress.
Again, this is not the first site you have sought to find a solution to your problem. You have been through many articles where experts advise of frequent stretch breaks, maximize body movements, take walks(as long as a couple of miles daily), maintain work-life balance(learning when to avoid work), etc.
Not to mention, all these suggestions take a while before it actually starts showing results. Additionally, corporate etiquettes and work obligations will not necessarily allow you to maintain that habit. One or the other day you will cheat the health drill, of course, unintentionally!
Maybe, a deadline will push you to skip the frequent stretch breaks or monsoon will ruin the walking route, etc.
Also, there are many games which focus on staff bonding, mild exercising, mental stimulation, etc. which your witty HR associate will make you participate. However, these all exercises will help a person stay cheerful for a couple of years after starting the career. Additionally, employees who have spent more time in an organization will not feel the same as that of the new joiners.
Similarly, indulging in games and playful activities is necessary for the junior associates. On the other hand, when a senior associate needs exercising yet maintain a certain distance with the fellow associates the idea of exercising diminishes. In that case, games in which a person can play alone has more importance.
Therefore, here I am with some addictive and interactive solutions which will help you keep in shape, increase overall health, and moreover, relieving your stress in no time.
Games to Play Alone in a Workplace or at Home
In this section, not all of the activities are going to be games, some of those will be exercises. However, an intuitive method and not getting irritated will be appreciated(by your body). You shall be willing to participate in these intense sessions for effective and immediate results. The best part of it is, 3 to 4 sessions a week will also be effective.
Ping Pong
Ping pong is a popular term for table tennis. It is a simple yet intense game to play. It consists of an even surfaced table and a net at the middle of the table. The player has to avoid the ball touching the net and continue hitting the ball with a paddle.
Although, this game requires a minimum of two and a maximum of four players to play this game but using a return board or a ping pong robot will help a person to play solo. You can even arrange this set up on a table similar to a half board sized ping pong table and utilize it in other tasks after playing.
Return board is a sort of rebound net. It would fire the ball at you depending on how you had shot towards it. Afterall, rebound means the action leads to a reaction. It requires the player to know elementary ping pong skills before using the return board.
In contrast to it, a ping pong robot will help a novice player to learn and improve to a greater extent.
Ping Pong Robot is a robot shooting the ping pong balls towards your end of the table. It works according to pre-programmed power, spin, angle calibrations. You can control those calibrations depending on the make of a machine.
Benefits:
Increased body movements especially legs and hands. Promote hand-eye coordination.
(It can decrease the back pain, neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, stress, lethargy, gluteus medius tendinosis, diabetes, overweight, anxiety)
Sponge ball/Stress ball
A stress ball is a softball made of sponge. There are similar balls made up of rubber surface and soft clay inside it. You can keep this on your desk and exercise it by squeezing it continuously. Squeezing the ball continuously will prevent the carpal tunnel syndrome and relieves your stress.
You can even throw it on the wall and catch after a rebound, which will increase your hand, leg, and neck movements. Also, it will make you move around the space more if you are bad at aiming and catching.
In addition to that, the sponge ball will make a person move a little from your chair. Ultimately, it will force you to continuously change sitting position. This exercise is recommended for the people sitting in front of a computer the whole day, some musicians, writers. They are more prone to Repetitive Strain Injury(RSI)
Benefits:
Strengthening wrist and forearm muscles, sense of compulsion to release tension.
(It can decrease carpal tunnel syndrome, regulate blood flow, relieve stress while playing with it)
Dart Board
Dartboard is an aiming game, people can throw a dart(having pointed tip at its front) on the dartboard; a dart closer to the center will earn more points. This game is very addictive especially while competing with others. However, the solo player playing this game will have a better exercise.
After continuously poking the dart into the dartboard, the board will eventually wear off. Gradually, the dart tip tends to deform making it difficult to play with. Likewise, I would not recommend using a dart having pointed tips and wooden boards. Going with magnetic dart game will be better instead.
The whole idea of exercising using a dart game stays intact while you use the magnetic dart game. Firstly, it will have a magnet attracting board or a scroll i.e. foldable. Secondly, it will not wear off. Finally, magnetic darts tend to fall from the board if not accurately aimed at, making a person bend down while collecting.
You will stand 5 to 10 feet away from the dartboard while aiming. Walk to and fro in between aiming and be collecting. Sometimes bending down to collect the fallen darts. This course of ambitious game exercising will help you a lot. Additionally, dart game lets a person play in a team yet perform solo(sense of leadership and protagonist).
Benefits:
Rigorous body movements, the occasional stretch during bending, hand movement control, concentration while aiming, stress relief.
Dance/Aerobics
When we want to fight stress, how can I miss the dance? It is fun, energetic, stress relieving, and unleashing a person to greater satisfaction. Well, that’s enough of optimism I can deliver in this article. Because dancing is often termed with judgmental notions and behavioral factors.
Moreover, people feel embarrassed to dance compared to a little dancer’s little troop we have seen perform on streets, shows, plays, etc. Nevertheless, dancing is not always about graceful movements and perfect posture. Additionally, many dance forms are trending these days which focus on the vital body movements and exercise. Dance exercise does not need graceful body movements, thus no chance of judgments.
It is not a new concept called aerobics which specifically means dance exercising. There are some of the most effective and renown dance forms i.e. Zumba, Tabata, etc. These dance forms will have easy body movements focusing on mild to severe intensities.
Thus, the problem of being ashamed of improper dance moves is out from the equation. Likewise, turning to free youtube aerobics tutorials will help one learn and perform those moves.
In contrast to physical benefits, dance has many psychological benefits too. Moreover, the mental drive(readiness) will help one achieve the complete benefits of aerobics.
Benefits:
Increased stretching ability, exercising, cardio, mental stimulation, etc.
(It will prevent diabetes, asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular ailments, depression, stress, lethargy, and much more)
There are some more exercises which have immense benefits but are not very addictive or need a longer period for results. Especially, you will have to spare some time learning any of those skillful exercises properly. For example; bicycling, swimming(is addictive but can cost a ton, plus the availability of a pool is questionable), skippings, jogging, yoga.
The EndNote
My valued readers, these games, exercises, and dance forms above have potential benefits. Additionally, it can trigger effective and immediate results. Moreover, people doing the corporate duties tend to ignore these essentials i.e. maintaining physique and psyche. Sometimes, following the conventional methods of taking small walks and stretching will contribute to improvements in a long run. Therefore, it will be fun to give as little as 15 to 30 mins daily to any of the drills stated above in order to fetch good results.
