Desk Stretches for Heavy Legs and Swollen Ankles

Sitting still is the problem, so any of these beats none of them. The aim is frequency, not perfection — once an hour does more than a thorough session at 5pm.

At the chair

1. Ankle pumps: point and flex both feet, twenty times.
2. Ankle circles: ten each direction, each foot.
3. Heel raises: press the balls of your feet down, lift the heels, twenty times.
4. Knee lifts: alternate, twenty total, keeping the movement small and controlled.
5. Seated figure-four: ankle on the opposite knee, lean forward gently, hold thirty seconds.

Worth standing for

Calf raises against a wall — three sets of fifteen. The calf is often called the second heart for good reason, and it is the single most useful muscle to wake up during a long day of sitting.