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Here are a couple of statistic to guide you. Click on image to enlarge.

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How can physical activity improve my mental health and wellbeing?

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How can physical activity improve my mental health and wellbeing?

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Physical activity has a lot of benefits for your mental health and wellbeing including helping:

your body to release feel good hormones called endorphins,

your concentration,

you to have good sleep,

you feel more confident, and

your motivation.

Even a short amount of exercise has been shown to enhance wellbeing and can help you feel good about yourself. Regular exercise can improve your quality of life.

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Lower risk of type 2 diabetes or diabetes complications

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Lower risk of type 2 diabetes or diabetes complications

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Praying as a form of exercise - similar health benefits

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Praying as a form of exercise - similar health benefits

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Image: kali9/Getty Images

It's not enough to build muscle and achieve aerobic fitness. You need to think about flexibility, too. Stretching can help.

You may think of stretching as something performed only by runners or gymnasts. But we all need to stretch in order to protect our mobility and independence. "A lot of people don't understand that stretching has to happen on a regular basis. It should be daily," says David Nolan, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

Why stretching is important

Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, and we need that flexibility to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when you call on the muscles for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way. That puts you at risk for joint pain, strains, and muscle damage.

For example, sitting in a chair all day results in tight hamstrings in the back of the thigh. That can make it harder to extend your leg or straighten your knee all the way, which inhibits walking. Likewise, when tight muscles are suddenly called on for a strenuous activity that stretches them, such as playing tennis, they may become damaged from suddenly being stretched. Injured muscles may not be strong enough to support the joints, which can lead to joint injury.

Regular stretching keeps muscles long, lean, and flexible, and this means that exertion "won't put too much force on the muscle itself," says Nolan. Healthy muscles also help a person with balance problems to avoid falls.

Where to start

With a body full of muscles, the idea of daily stretching may seem overwhelming. But Nolan says you don't have to stretch every muscle you have. "The areas critical for mobility are in your lower extremities: your calves, your hamstrings, your hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh." Stretching your shoulders, neck, and lower back is also beneficial. Aim for a program of daily stretches or at least three or four times per week.

Find a physical therapist (your local Y is a good place to start) who can assess your muscle strength and tailor a stretching program to fit your needs. If you have chronic conditions such as Parkinson's disease or arthritis, you'll want to clear a new stretching regimen with your doctor before you start.

The cumulative effect of stretching

Stretching once today won't magically give you perfect flexibility. You'll need to do it over time and remain committed to the process. "It may have taken you many months to get tight muscles, so you're not going to be perfectly flexible after one or two sessions," says physical therapist David Nolan of Massachusetts General Hospital. "It takes weeks to months to get flexible, and you'll have to continue working on it to maintain it."

A hamstring stretch will keep the muscles in the back of your thigh flexible. Sit on the floor with your legs in front of you. Slide your hands down your legs until you feel a burning sensation. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly return to a sitting position.

Proper execution

We used to believe that stretching was necessary to warm up the muscles and prepare them for activity. However, mounting research has shown that stretching the muscles before they're warmed up can actually hurt them. "When everything is cold, the fibers aren't prepared and may be damaged. If you exercise first, you'll get blood flow to the area, and that makes the tissue more pliable and amenable to change," says Nolan. All it takes to warm up the muscles before stretching is five to 10 minutes of light activity, such as a quick walk. You can also stretch after an aerobic or weight-training workout.

Hold a stretch for 30 seconds. Don't bounce, which can cause injury. You'll feel tension during a stretch, but you should not feel pain. If you do, there may be an injury or damage in the tissue. Stop stretching that muscle and talk to your doctor.

Bottom image: zdenkam/Getty Images

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The importance of stretching - Harvard Health

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Stretching keeps the muscles flexible, strong, and healthy, which is needed to maintain a range of motion in the joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight. Then, when muscles are called on for activity, they are weak and unable to extend all the way.

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visualspace / Getty Images

It can be difficult to fit a long workout into your already packed schedule. If you're struggling to find time to stay active, you may want to try doing short workouts throughout the day instead.

Even spending 5 to 10 minutes exercising at your desk can stimulate some midday blood flow and help you push through your mid-afternoon slump.

You don't need a rack filled with dumbbells or a treadmill to get in a good workout. Below, we've curated a list of 30 office exercises you can try right now with no or minimal equipment.

1. Triceps dips

Muscle groups worked: triceps and chest
How to do them:
2. Desk pushups

Muscle groups worked: triceps and chest
How to do them:
3. Calf raises

Muscle groups worked: calves
How to do them:
4. Squats

Muscle groups worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core
How to do them:
5. Chair or desk side planks

Muscles groups worked: shoulders and core
How to do them:
6. Desk plank

Muscle groups worked: core and shoulders
How to do it:

1. Lean against your desk with your body in a straight line, your elbows and forearms against your desk and your hands together.

2. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.

7. Desk donkey kicks

Muscle groups worked: glutes and hamstrings
How to do them:
8. Pistol squats

Muscle groups worked: quads, glutes, hamstring, and core
How to do them:
9. Lunges

Muscle groups worked: core, quads, and hamstrings
How to do them:
10. Side lunges

Muscle groups worked: quads, hamstrings, and adductor
How to do them:
11. Single-leg deadlifts

Muscle groups worked: glutes and hamstrings
How to do them:
12. Wall sit

Muscle groups worked: quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings
How to do it:
13. Step-ups

Muscle groups worked: quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings
How to do them:
Before you perform this exercise, make sure the surface you're using is stable to avoid injury.

14. Single-leg squats

Muscle groups worked: quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings
How to do them:
15. Jumping jacks

Muscle groups worked: full body
How to do them:
16. Marching

Muscle groups worked: full body
How to do it:
17. Oblique twists

Muscle groups worked: obliques
How to do them:
Note: If you do not have a swivel chair, you can bend your arms up in front of you and turn your body to the right and left. Just make sure to move from your core.

18. Seated bicycles

Muscle groups worked: obliques and abdominals
How to do them:
19. Leg lifts

Muscle groups worked: core, quads, and hip flexors
How to do them:
20. Seated knee-to-chest

Muscle groups worked: abdominals
How to do it:
21. Glute squeezes

Muscle groups worked: glutes
How to do them:
22. Seated leg extensions

Muscle groups worked: quads
How to do them:
23. Seated windshield wipers

Muscle groups worked: abdominals and obliques
How to do them:
24. Seated flutter kicks

Muscle groups worked: abdominals and obliques
How to do them:
For the following exercises, you can use a dumbbell or another heavy object you have at the office. Some ideas include:

filled filing boxes

water jugs or bottles

books

a ream of paper

25. Seated shoulder press

Muscle groups worked: shoulders
How to do it:
26. Bent-over rows

Muscle groups worked: upper back and lats
How to do them:
27. Biceps curls

Muscle groups worked: biceps
How to do them:
28. Front raises

Muscle groups worked: shoulders
How to do them:
29. Russian twists

Muscle groups worked: obliques and shoulders
How to do them:
30. Romanian deadlifts

Muscle groups worked: glutes, hamstrings, and back
How to do them:
You can combine the exercises above in several different ways to create a 5-minute desk workout. Here's one example:

You can also combine the exercises we discussed above to create a 10-minute workout. Here's a look at one routine:

Exercising - even just in short bursts throughout the day - is linked to a number of benefits. These include:

Decrease your body mass index (BMI). A 2013 study published by researchers at the University of Utah found that even short bursts of high-intensity exercise lasting less than 10 minutes can have a positive effect on your BMI. The researchers found that each minute of high-intensity performed throughout the day lowered the odds of obesity by 5 percent for women and 2 percent for men.

Reduce your appetite. A small compared the effects of an exercise program made up of 12 daily 5-minute exercise sessions with those of a program made up of one hour-long session on individuals with obesity. The researchers found that participants who exercised in 5-minute blocks reported 32 percent less hunger throughout the day than the group who exercised continuously for an hour.

Improve your mood. According to a 2018 review, research has found that acute bursts of exercises are linked to positive changes in mood. Most of the research is on aerobic exercise, but there's some evidence that anaerobic exercise like weightlifting can also have similar benefits.

Depending on your office set-up, it might not be practical to exercise at your desk, especially if you're in close quarters with your co-workers.

However, there are many other ways you can fit in time for exercise at work:

Go for a short walk on your breaks.

Replace your office chair with an exercise ball.

Use the stairs regularly.

Consider a standing desk.

Consider walking or biking to work if practical.

Keep some exercise equipment at work so you can exercise during your lunch break.

Walk while on the phone.

If you're having a particularly busy or stressful day, you might find it harder than usual to stay motivated for your workout. Here are some techniques you can use to help you stay focused:

Create an exercise challenge with a co-worker to keep each other accountable.

Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.

Focus on exercises you find fun.

Schedule your workouts on your calendar in advance.

Reward yourself regularly.

Don't beat yourself up if you miss 1 or 2 days.

Try listening to music you find motivating while you exercise.

Spending a few minutes exercising at the office each day is better than not exercising at all.

There are hundreds of exercises you can do with minimal equipment. Your chair, desk, and heavy books are just a few things you can use during your workout.

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Office Exercises: 30 Exercises to Do at Your Desk

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It can be difficult to fit a long workout into your already packed schedule. If you're struggling to find time to stay active, you may want to try doing short workouts throughout the day instead. Even spending 5 to 10 minutes exercising at your desk can stimulate some midday blood flow and help you push through your mid-afternoon slump.

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Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

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Focus your mind before busy day