Standing Desk Exercises

A standing desk helps you sit less (Edwardson et al., 2022), but standing still is still one fixed position. These moves use the fact that you are already on your feet to add some leg and hip work in three minutes.

Best standing desk exercises

1. 

   1. Stand tall and breathe

   Stand up. Feel your feet on the floor, soften your knees and let your head float up. Breathe easily.

   Feel it: your weight settling through your feet

   Common mistake: Locking the knees or holding yourself stiff.

2. 

   2. Calf raise

   Stand holding the desk if needed. Rise onto the balls of both feet, pause, then lower slowly.

   Feel it: your calves working and your blood moving

   Common mistake: Bouncing at the top.

3. 

   3. Sit-to-stand + glute squeeze

   Chair on wheels? Brace it against the desk first. From sitting, stand up (hands on thighs or the desk only if needed). Squeeze your glutes at the top without leaning back, then sit down slowly with control.

   Feel it: your legs and glutes driving you up

   Common mistake: Knee cave, rushing, or pushing off with momentum only.

4. 

   4. Standing hip flexor stretch

   Hold the desk and step one foot back into a short lunge, back knee soft. Squeeze the back-side glute and gently tuck the pelvis under (flatten the low-back arch) until you feel a stretch in the front of the back hip.

   Feel it: the front of your back hip

   Common mistake: Arching the low back.

5. 

   5. Standing overhead reach

   Stand tall with soft knees. Reach both arms up for 3 slow breaths, then lower them. Repeat 3 times. Keep your ribs soft and your shoulders away from your ears.

   Feel it: your ribs lifting away from your hips

   Common mistake: Flared ribs, shrugged shoulders, or locking the knees.

6. 

   6. Standing glute squeeze

   Stand with soft knees. Squeeze the glutes firmly for a few seconds, then release. Don’t lock the knees.

   Feel it: your glutes switching back on

   Common mistake: Locking the knees.