Simple Exercises to do From Home During Remote Learning

By Alejandro Arcos| Published by March,8 2021

Students and professors being all cooped up and too busy learning and teaching may not find the time or motivation to stretch and exercise during the time spent indoors. In the name of healthier living, here are stretching exercises for stressed out and tensed educators and students to consider doing at home. As training coaches would attest to, inactivity, poor posture and repetitiveness is bound to lead to discomfort and health complications, with the following set exercises meant for doing in the comfort of the work desk being known as “Deskercise”.

According to an article named ‘Stretches to Do at Work Every Day”, written for the Healthline online magazine, these are four exercises that students and professors may find healthy to do between their classes.

Backbend Arch – This simple spine stretching exercise is so simple that one doesn’t even need to move from their seat. With hands placed flat against the seat and the body scooted forward a little, slowly and carefully bend and stretch the spine into a C-shape and maintain this pose for 10 – 30 seconds. Repeat two more times to iron out the back. 

Shoulder Stretch – Clasp your hands behind your back and push your chest forward and raise your chin towards the ceiling. Maintain this pose for 10-30 seconds, then release. Repeat two more times.

Wrist extension stretching– Stretch your arm out to its full length, having your fingers pointed in the direction of either the ceiling or the floor, grab your extended hand with your free hand and gently bend your hand by the wrist towards you until stretching is felt in the tendons, maintain the pose for 10-30 seconds and release. Repeat two more times.

Hamstring Stretch (Leg Stretch) – Whilst seated, extend the leg of your choice straight and outwards. Begin reaching for your toes and hold the pose for 10-30 seconds before releasing. Alternate between legs one at a time, however, do not attempt both at the same time for risk of damaging your back. Perform this action three times per leg.

Without proper care, the strain on the hands and atrophy of the legs can lead to a

strained, sore and uncomfortable existence, to say nothing of the sheer damage a strained spine can inflict. Remote learning can be a pain, and not in the figurative sense, literal pain that may take a toll on one’s body and get in the way of learning and moving around.

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