Quick Office Exercises for Fitness: Tips from a Karate World Champion

Andrew is a professional boxer and the world champion in Kyokushinkai Karate. He knows that training hard is essential, but what is crucial is to take care of your body. We asked Andrew to share some tips that help him to stay wealthy and energized. The list below suits any skill and any lifestyle, but will be especially beneficial for office workers.

1. Comb your hair more often

Bend your fingers and use them like a comb. Comb your hair from the forehead to the back of the head. Perform about 100 of these movements. Movements should be slow and gentle.

This exercise stimulates and massages the energy points of the head, relieves pain, improves vision, and lowers blood pressure.

The result will be better if you do the exercise in the morning.

2. Rub your face more often

Warm up your palms, bring them to your face – so that the middle fingers touch the sides of the nose. Gently rub the skin of the face, moving up to the forehead, then to the sides, moving to the cheeks.

Perform the same 30 times. Exercise refreshes the head and lowers blood pressure. Massaging these points helps with a runny nose.

3. Gymnastics for the eyes

Repeat each exercise 5-30 times, start small, gradually increase the load. The movements are smooth, without jerks, it is useful to blink between exercises.

Exercise 1. CURTAIN 

Blink quickly and lightly for 2 minutes. It helps improve blood circulation.

Exercise 2. LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW

Make a ball from plasticine and attach it to the window. Select a distant object outside the window, look into the distance for a few seconds, then look at the plasticine ball on the window. Later, you can complicate the loads – focus on four objects at different distances.

Exercise 3. BIG EYES

Sit straight. Close your eyes tightly for 5 seconds, then open them wide. Repeat 8-10 times. The exercise strengthens the muscles of the eyelids, improves blood circulation, helps to relax the eye muscles.

Exercise 4. MASSAGE

Slightly press the upper eyelids with three fingers of each hand. After 1-2 seconds, remove the fingers from the eyelids. Repeat 3 times. The exercise enhances the circulation of intraocular fluid. 

Exercise 5. HYDROMASSAGE 

Rinse your eyes twice a day: in the morning and in the evening. The morning routine should begin with alternating warm and cold water rinsing. Before going to bed, repeat the same in the reverse order: wash with cold, then with hot water.

Exercise 6. DRAW A PICTURE

First aid for the eyes: close your eyes for a few minutes and imagine something pleasant. And if you rub the palms of your hands and cover your eyes with warm palms, fingers crossed in the middle of the forehead, the effect will be more noticeable.

Exercise 7. “SHOOTING EYES”

• Look up and down with maximum amplitude.
• Draw a circle clockwise and back.
• Draw diagonal with your eyes.
• Draw a square.
• The gaze follows an arc – convex and concave
• Draw a rhombus.

• Draw bows with the eyes.
• Draw the letter S – first in a horizontal position, then in a vertical position.
• Draw vertical arcs with your eyes, first clockwise, then counter-clockwise.
• Shift your gaze from one corner to another along the diagonals of the square.
• Contract the pupils to the bridge of the nose with all might, bringing the finger to the nose.
• Blink the same way as a butterfly flaps its wings.

When working on a computer, remember the following:

• after each exercise, you should sit with your eyes closed for a minute;
• exercise for the eyes when working on a computer is carried out 2 times a day at the same time;
• follow the movements – the amplitude should be maximum;
• if you work constantly on the computer, take a short one-minute break every 40 minutes, in extreme cases, after an hour.
• Slowly turn your eyeballs from left to right (14 times), then from right to left (14 times).
• Close your eyes tightly and open them sharply.

This exercise improves eyesight, and also has a beneficial effect on the liver. 

4. Click your teeth more often

Clap your molars 24 times first, then your front teeth 24 times.

This exercise strengthens the teeth, including tooth enamel.

5. Tap your ears more often

Cover your ears with your palms and tap the back of your head with the three middle fingers of each hand 12 times. Then, pressing the index finger to the middle one, click it on the back of the head with a sound. Do the same 12 times.

Do this in the morning or when you feel tired.

Exercise helps with ringing in the ears, dizziness and ear diseases. Improves hearing and memory.

6. Lick your palate more often

When you touch the tip of your tongue to your upper palate, yang and yin meet.

Licking the palate, focus all your attention on the space under the tongue and feel how the saliva gradually accumulates.

7. Swallow saliva more often

When you swallow saliva, it lubricates the internal organs, moisturizes the limbs and hair, promotes digestion and absorption of nutrients, and improves the functioning of the stomach and intestines.

When the mouth fills with saliva, puff out the cheeks, rinse the mouth with saliva 36 times, and then swallow it with a gurgling sound, mentally directing it to the dan tan area below the navel.

8. Exhale air more often 

Hold your breath and inflate your chest and abdomen.

When you feel that the chest and abdomen are filled with air to the limit, raise your head and, opening your mouth, slowly exhale the stagnant air.

Repeat the exercise 5-7 times. It cleanses the body of stagnant air, improves breathing, and helps with asthma and pain.

9. Massage your belly more often

Rub your palms to make them warm, place them on the navel (men’s left hand over the right, and women’s right over the left). Rub the stomach with expanding circular motions clockwise (36 circles), then in the opposite direction, gradually reducing the radius (also 36 circles).

This exercise improves intestinal peristalsis, promotes respiration, prevents stagnation of food in the gastrointestinal tract, improves digestion, and prevents and cures gastrointestinal disorders.

10. Tight your anus more often

Inhale deeply and strongly contract the anal sphincter, lifting it along with the perineum. After a pause, relax and exhale slowly.

Repeat the exercise 5-7 times. Exercise prevents and treats hemorrhoids, anus prolapse and anal fistulas.

11. Shake your limbs more often

Stretch your arms forward, clench your fists and, bending at the waist, turn your shoulders from left to right, as if turning the steering wheel (24 times). Then do the same from right to left – 24 times. Sit on a chair with your hands under you.

Raise your left leg and slowly straighten it forward (toe pointing up). When the leg is almost straight, pull it forward with moderate force, sharply unbending at the knee. Then do the same with the right leg.

Repeat the exercise 5 times.

Exercise helps to stretch the limbs and joints, overcome congestion in the meridians and collaterals, prevent and treat joint diseases and strengthen the legs.

12. Rub the soles of your feet often

After washing your feet before going to bed, warm your palms by rubbing, then start massaging in slow circular motions. Do 50 to 100 circles. This exercise strengthens the kidneys, warms the legs, improves the connection between the heart and kidneys, soothes the liver and improves vision.

13. Rub your skin often

After warming up the palms by rubbing, stroke and rub the skin over the body in the following sequence: from the top of the head, then the face, shoulders, arms (first left, then right), chest, abdomen, chest on both sides. Then go to the sides of the lower back and finally to the legs (first left, then right). This exercise improves the circulation of the blood and vital energy qi. It is also good for the skin.

14. The back and chest should always be kept warm

Protect the chest and back for normal functioning. Keep them warm.

Conclusion

Following these tips will help you to improve your overall health, especially the gut functioning. With consistent practices, you will see the improvements in your health after one month! Good luck!

Tell us in the comments how you keep your body healthy.