Most of us live a sedentary lifestyle, with an hour commute to and from work, sitting at a desk from 9-5 and then spending an evening in front of the television. Health experts recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. With how busy our lives are, it is difficult to fit even those thirty minutes in. Below are ten ways to sneak exercise into your busy work day. Try one of the following at least once per hour.
1.Tap Your Toes
Keeping your heels planted on the ground lift your toes as high as you can and bring them back down. Repeat 20 times fast and 20 times slow. This will stretch your shins and also improve circulation.
2. Take A Stroll
Instead of sending an email or calling a coworker on the phone, stand up and go for a walk to visit them. Walking increases circulation throughout the body. Go get a drink of water, or meet a new employee. If you can, hold standing meetings rather than the traditional sit-down meeting.
3. Calf Raises
While waiting for a 200 page copy to finish or a co-worker to finish speaking on the phone, raise your heels and stand on your toes, and then return your heels to the floor. Repeat 25 times. Rest. Do another set of 25 calf raises.
4. Triceps Dips - In Your Chair
Place your hands on the arms of the chair and lift yourself out of it. Slowly lower yourself down until you are just above the seat. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Repeat 10 times.
5. Stretch Using Your desk
Seated in your chair, put your right heel up on your desk. Bend forward until you feel a gentle stretch on the back of your leg. Flex your foot for 5 seconds, then point it for 5 seconds. Reach a little farther forward and hold for ten seconds. Repeat on the other side.
6. Water Bottle Weights
Use a full water bottle while sitting at your desk to do bicep curls, overhead tricep extensions, forearm curls or tricep kick backs. Do 5 sets of 10 repetitions.
7. Raise the Roof
Press your palms towards the ceiling and bring them back down towards your shoulders. Repeat 30 times. Optionally, stand up and march in place to get your heart pumping more.
8. Shoulder Shrugs
Shrug your shoulders up towards your ears, hold for five seconds, then push them down towards the ground for five additional seconds. Repeat 20 times.
9. Desk Presses
Put your hands flat on your desk and feet flat on the floor. Push both down as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Relax, then repeat 5 times.
10. Shoulder Rolls
Roll your shoulders forward ten times. Roll them backwards ten times. Hold arms straight out to the sides and make ten small circles forward, then ten small circles backwards. Again, keeping your arms out sideways, make ten medium-sized circles forward and backwards. Do one last time with circles as large as you can make them.