Your day is looking like it’s all booked up, but you need to get a workout in. What do you do?
If hitting the gym isn’t going to be an option, here are a few ways to sneak in a little workout at the office.
1. Take the Stairs
Is the copier on the 3rd floor, the reception desk on the 1st floor, and your work bestie on the 6th floor? Take the stairs! By the end of the day you’ll have squeaked in a workout just by traveling around the office!
2. Stretching
Every hour or so just take 5 minutes to stretch. This will keep your muscles loose, your mind clear, and relieve tension that you carry in your body at work.
3. Stand
If you have a standing desk, great! Use that for 30 minutes every couple of hours or so. If you don’t have a standing desk, move to work on top of a filing cabinet for a little while. Just getting up out of your chair is sometimes all you need.
4. Jog in Place
Is that spreadsheet giving you some grief? Stand up and just jog in place for a couple minutes. If you do this for 5 minutes every hour during an 8 hour work day, that’s 40 minutes of light cardio. This also gives your brain a little break!
5. Calf Raises
Waiting for printer? Waiting for someone to email you back? Do some calf raises while you wait! It does no good to just wait idly for something to happen. Throw an easy and work attire appropriate workout in with simple calf raises.
6. Office Supply Bicep Curls
That bulldog paperweight doesn’t just have to be aesthetically pleasing. Use it to do 12-15 bicep curls for each arm. It’s a small but easy way to squeeze a little fitness routine into your day. Don’t have a paperweight? A heavy stapler, change purse, or unopened copy paper work just as well.
7. Wall Push-Ups
Getting on the floor and doing regular pushups is usually not forgiving on work clothes. A wall pushup is like a regular pushup, except you’re standing upright and leaning with your palms against the wall. Take a little break from that paperwork and get 10 pushups in.
8. Wall Sits
With your back flat against the wall lower your body so that your knees are at 90 degrees, like you’re sitting in an invisible chair. If you have something you need to read or go over, read it while you do a wall sit! It’ll work your legs, back, and core, while you go over your last draft of a report.
9. Invest In A Swiss Ball
A Swiss Ball is one of those large inflatable balls you see at your health club. If you replace your chair with one of these balls, you can work on balance and core strength all day long without having to get up from your desk! BONUS: If done correctly it can also drastically improve your posture, which is proven to help with work productivity as well.
10. Rolling Chair Workout
Using your heels, slowly inch your chair backwards and then forwards a few inches. Keep the rest of your body still and your core tight to work your abs, hamstrings, and back. Not only is this a very simple workout, it’s also great for when you’re bored or really like your rolling chair.
While all of these tips are good in a pinch, it’s still important to try and get a real solid 30 minute workout in everyday. You can check out our tips on how getting a workout in can help improve work life here. But for when the snooze button or Netflix after work calls, give one of these workday workouts a go.