Working 8-10 hours a day (and then some…) can really get you feeling like all you want to do is veg out as soon as you finish your work day. The problem is that couch potato mentality won’t do anything for your glutes and hamstrings, especially if you’ve been sitting for the majority of your workday already. Feel motivated to work out like Demi Moore back when she starred as G.I. Jane or want a ripped body like Brad Pitt in Fight Club? Then bring out the inner exercise guru in you and apply these creative, doable exercises at work. Whether that means you only have ten minutes to spare on your morning break or during your lunch break, you can exercise during the most sedentary of jobs.
Why Get Exercise at Work, Anyways?
Does a quick 10 minute workout really boost up your metabolism or help you to lose those calories consumed from your extra value meal you had at lunch? No, but it can revitalize your mind so that however bored and repetitive you feel your job is, you can have an energy boost with a quick walk to undoubtedly give you a new perspective. Studies also show that short bursts of exercise, whether for 10 or 30 minutes will contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle. So here are some of our quickest and most accessible tips for staying fit in the workplace and keeping your mind fresh for that upcoming promotion!
Ask About Incentive Programs
If you’re pants are fitting a little snugger these days, it’s no wonder. Whether you’re an office worker, salesman for a large corporation, lawyer or teacher, the amount of sitting you do compared to staying in motion is significant. Many companies (big and small) will sponsor weight loss/get fit contests, and for each pound lost, employees can win a monetary amount. Aside from being a healthy competition in the workplace, incentive programs for weight loss can be a great way to come together as co-workers, all with a healthy goal in mind!
Trade in Your Chair for a Medicine Ball
Whether you’re an administrative assistant or a journalist, long and stressful days sitting down doesn’t exactly make you want to jump up and head straight to the gym after work for a run on the treadmill. Instead of feeling badly about your lack of fitness, use what you’ve got! Your desk chair is the perfect addition to your workout routine. It may not be a medicine ball or a weight lifting machine, but it will work nonetheless. Many people use an exercise ball instead of their chair and doing so can help improve your posture and increase your balance by using your leg, glutes and hamstrings to stay centered. Bonus? Improved postures with the medicine ball will help to eliminate shoulder and neck pain.
Exercises to Try: Easy, Quick and Smart
While sitting for long stretches of time typing away, driving your truck cross country or focusing on fine tuning that legal document, you can also tighten and tone! Squeeze those buttocks of yours in sets of 10 while you’re taking a mini break or incorporate strength training by lifting your body a few inches off of your chair by lifting off with your arms on the arm of your chair. Want a use for that mega-size water bottle leftover from lunch? Place it between your legs to improve your inner leg strength. Squeeze and release 6-8 times, several times throughout the day. You’ll not only get that deadline met, but some killer legs to show for it!
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