Yes, it is possible. You can exercise in your office. However, you’re probably wondering you don’t have enough time, and the office isn’t the most conducive environment for burning calories.
However, research shows that sitting down at one spot for a while can be detrimental to your health. Long hours of idleness and inactivity can lead to long-term complications such as diabetes, cancers, and heart diseases.
The truth is most people are aware of the health issues that come with inactivity but can’t take the time, especially during office hours. Also, the attire worn will only make exercising even more difficult.
But what if there was a way you could still physically remain active in the office even amid all these obstacles? Some workers are blessed to have an office gym they can access during the day. There’s no need to worry if you don’t fall within that category.
The aim of exercising, in general, is to maintain consistency. If you want to build your triceps, biceps, or abdominal muscles, then you’ll need to make sure you partake in some form of strength training each day. However, there are times you might wake up late and not have enough time to work out. These are the times you can consider office workouts. Although it shouldn’t completely replace your rigorous workout routine at the gym, your office workouts could instead complement your usual routine.
Once you consistently add physical activity to your time at the office, you’ll look and feel sharper at work, with your mood brightened all day. The trick about working out in the office is not to make it a standalone activity. Instead, it can be mixed with your work, so you barely feel any physical stress. Here are five quick workouts you can do at the office.
Staircase cardio
Before embarking on any form of continuous activity, it is important to warm up. This is crucial as it readies your body and muscles to withstand the workload coming their way. It also helps reduce the risk of injury if done well.
You can warm up by walking around at your office for about two minutes. You can also try your hands on shadowboxing or jumping without a skipping rope before starting your workout.
Of course, you can only participate in this exercise if you have a staircase at your workplace. Kudos if you do because you’re no longer going to see the stairs the same way again.
You’ve probably climbed stairs at work on countless occasions. They may make you tired, and they may not. But for your stairs climbing to feel like cardio and fall within the category of office workout, then there must be deliberateness.
You need to set a timer of a sort to attach some intensity to it. For example, take the stairs but take each step with power and make sure you lift your leg while swinging your arms. You can set your timer to two minutes at the beginning or whatever works for you to go up and down the stairs.
Research shows that climbing and descending stairs are some of the best cardio exercises due to the elevation. The faster you climb, the more fat you burn. But because it is an office workspace, you probably don’t have to be too aggressive because you don’t want to sweat too much and stain your outfit or even get too tired to focus at work.
Pushups
Like the staircase exercise, pushups in the office will depend on some conditions. For example, you don’t want your colleagues to think you’re some fitness freak when you randomly drop on the floor and start doing pushups. For this, you might need some privacy, and so if your office has a door you can close, or you have your little enclosed area or cubicle, then pushups are for you.
Once you have your own private space and enough muscle mass, you can indulge in pushups to help boost your triceps, deltoids, pecs, and more. Even if you don’t have the space to do the traditional space, there is still a way to pump up your muscles at the office.
Although this form of exercise is more subtle, it still has a good effect on your muscles. First, you have to put your hands on your table and then move your body away till you’re at a 45-degree angle. After which, you move your two palms shoulder-width apart before you start doing your pushups. This time your chest doesn’t move to the floor but towards the table. This can be done in quick reps, but always keep proper form by keeping your back straight and chest out.
Sitting planks
For planks, all you need is a chair. First, you sit down and cross both feet to see them under each ankle. Now you put your palms on the armrest of your chair and lift your body. Make sure to lift till your elbows are locked in, and your arms are outstretched.
To get the full effect on your core, make sure to hold your breath when you lift. This helps you engage the core and keep it tight.
You can do about 5 reps every hour to stretch out your muscles and also help you keep a healthy core. Planks will help develop your core and your back muscles, but for best results, you can do about two to three sets once your body starts to get used to the exercise.
As you increase the workload, you can explore other forms of planking, such as side planks, to make it more challenging.
Self exercises
Sometimes you don’t even need any form of equipment to tone your muscles. Instead, you can simulate exercises within your mind and contract your muscles to give you a similar workout feeling.
For instance, you can squeeze your palm into a fist and pretend to be lifting weights. The key is to force resistance, so you feel your muscles contract and become tenser as you lift. Consistently doing these types of exercises can help you tone your muscles effectively.
Another form of self-exercise is focusing on your abdominal muscles. For example, you can hold in your abs and contract them for about 40-60 seconds while holding your breath. This tightens your core, and doing several reps each day will help develop your core.
You can also stretch out your leg and draw circles with your foot. This is a fun exercise that allows blood flow in your legs while sitting. You can do about 15 reps and keep rotating between legs.
The beauty of these exercises is that most people can’t see you exercising, but you are.
Squats
Squatting is an excellent way to ensure healthy blood flow through your body. This can be an occasional go-to exercise that you do in the office. You don’t need much for this exercise, and just a wall is enough.
Put your back against the wall and start to slide downwards as you bend your knee slowly. You keep descending till your knees are fully bent at a 90-degree angle, and your thighs are parallel to the ground. You then hold the position for 30 seconds or more.
Start with about 10 reps and do 2-3 sets to get maximum benefits. Squats are a great way to build up your strength and endurance in the office.
Chair dips
Chair dips are also a good way of building upper body strength. Instead of just using your chair to relax and work, you can also use it as a tool occasionally to build up your body physically.
This exercise strengthens your triceps and shoulders tone them to look real good. However, if you want to do this in the office, you must first make sure your attire isn’t too tight because of the up-and-down movement.
So you first sit at the edge of your chair and put your hands by your side. You then rest your palms on the edge of the seat with your fingers pointing downwards. Move your body forward, so your butt is right ahead of the chair. Lower your butt while you maintain the grip on your palm and bend your knee. Lift your body again and keep doing the same motion for about 10 reps.
You can take rests after reps by sitting on the chair. Do 2-3 sets to feel the full effects of the exercise.
Maintain a good eating habit
Engaging in office exercises doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll become healthy. You need to ensure you’re conscious of what you consume as well. Working out and going back to snack after won’t help your body.
Avoid eating unnecessary snacks which contain plenty of sugar. Instead, focus on drinking loads of water to revitalize your organs.