Simple exercises for standing muscles

Chuen T L, 23 April 2018
Here are some simple exercises that can help you stand for a longer time.

Contents

1 Introduction

Sitting for hours on a daily basis can be harmful for our bodies. A few years ago I decided to change to a standing workstation to minimise the time I was sitting at work. It was quite hard to stand for longer than an hour without taking a break and sitting back down. The reason was that I had been neglecting the muscles that are needed for standing for most of my life. Trying to stand for a longer period exhausted the untrained muscles rather quickly.
These standing muscles can be trained
  • naturally by gradually standing for a longer time or
  • actively by holding isometric contractions when standing in a comfortable position.
The next section describes some simple isometric strengthening exercises which you can use to actively train your standing muscles.

2 Exercises

Note: Please consult your doctor if you think these exercises are not suitable for you and be aware that I cannot take responsibility for you trying them out.

2.1 Inner thigh muscles

Stand comfortably with your feet hip width apart.
  • Push the legs towards each other without moving your legs or feet. This contracts the muscles on the inside of your thighs.
  • Adjust the strength to a comfortable amount and breath naturally.
  • Keep pushing the legs inside and hold the muscles contracted for about 10 to 20 seconds before relaxing.

2.2 Outer thigh muscles

Stand comfortably with your feet hip width apart.
  • Push the legs away from the centre without moving your legs or feet. This contracts the muscles on the outside of your thighs.
  • Adjust the strength to a comfortable amount and breath naturally.
  • Keep pushing the legs outside and hold the muscles contracted for about 10 to 20 seconds before relaxing.

2.3 Core and gluteus muscles

Stand comfortably with your feet hip width apart.
  • Rotate the hips downward to contract the core and gluteus muscles.
  • Adjust the strength to a comfortable amount and breath naturally.
  • Hold the muscles contracted for about 10 to 20 seconds before relaxing.

2.4 Tips

Practise these isometric strengthening exercises as often as you want to train your standing muscles. Do use your common sense and don't over-do it and exhaust yourself too much. You can easily fit them into your daily life such as when brushing your teeth, waiting in a queue or for the bus.

3 Video

This videos shows how to do the exercises.
This article was first published on Telegraph.