The operator workout: stretches after a day in the cab or at the desk

Aching legs? Sore wrists? Long periods of time at your desk or in a cab slow your circulation and can cause aches and pains. We asked osteopath Bruno Soussan to recommend some simple stretches for operators, landscapers and construction managers.

Try these to ease muscle tension and get the blood flowing.

Remember:

Always stretch slowly and gently.
Each side of your body can feel different. While you might find a stretch easy on one side, it could be harder on the other.
Listen to your body and if something hurts, don’t do it.

Exercises and stretches for tight muscles

Standing hamstring stretch

Bend your right leg and stretch your left leg in front of you. Rest both hands on your right leg. Keep your left heel on the floor and lift your toes so that you feel a stretch down the left hamstring. Then switch sides and repeat.

Hip stretch

Stand on your right leg. Bend your left leg and rest the left ankle on your right knee. Lean forward over the right leg so that you feel a stretch in the hip. Then switch sides.

This can also be done sitting down, by resting the left ankle on the right knee, and vice versa.

A stretch for aching wrists

Slowly bend your wrists forward and backward. Gently press them against a solid object to release tension.

Photo of bare feet standing on tip-toes doing a calf stretch

Calf exercise

This is the perfect exercise to relieve tension from having your foot on the pedal all day.

Stand with your feet together. Slowly raise your heels off the floor and back down again. Do 3 sets of 10 raises.

Stretches to do at your desk

Reach your hands up high, link your fingers and lean to the left, then the right. Feel a stretch down your arms and sides.
Gently roll your shoulders forwards five times, then backwards five times. Shrug your shoulders a few times to release tension.
Squats: repeat the action of standing and sitting numerous times. Make sure you do not use a chair with wheels.
If you want to get a little more active in the office and you have some space, try a set of tricep dips. Use a stable chair that doesn’t have wheels on it. Face away from the chair. Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the chair and stretch your legs out straight. Dip your body towards the ground and back up again, straightening and bending your arms each time.