DESKERCISE: Workout Out While at Work

Stuck to your desk at work? Cross that off the list of excuses for not having the time to exercise… and no, drinking a lot of coffee and running to the restroom four times an hour does NOT count!

This is a little something I like to call DESKERCISE! It’s highly unlikely you’ll get to the Olympics with these moves, but at the very least these muscle strengthening, and short cardio bursts will have your heart rate up in no time!

DESKERCISE:

1 – The Office Genie: Want to add a little magic to the workday? Raise the legs into a criss-cross applesauce position while seated in a chair. With your hands on the armrests, push upwards to raise the body off the seat and remain floating for 10-20 seconds. After granting a few wishes, release back down to the chair, rest for a minute, and repeat. Craving more magic? Try this balancing act while in a chair that spins. – option no legs crossed!

2 – Get an elastic band. This is also cheap, small and light. Stretch your arms, do it by pulling apart the elastic band with rapid movements. This will stretch and work the muscles slightly.

3 – Front Raise to Triceps Press: Sit tall with the abs in and hold a full water bottle in the left hand.  Lift the bottle up to shoulder level, pause, and then continue lifting all the way up over the head.  When the arm is next to the ear, bend the elbow, taking the water bottle behind you and contracting the triceps.  Straighten the arm and lower down, repeating for 12 reps on each arm.

4 – The Wall (Street) Sit: Wall sits are great for building strength and endurance. Standing with your back against the wall, bend the knees and slide your back down the wall until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit and hold for 30-60 seconds (or up to 12 hours, the world record!), while browsing the Wall Street Journal. For some extra burn, try crossing the right ankle over the left knee, hold for 15 seconds, then switch!

5 – The Patient Printer: The boss lady just requested that a 200-page presentation be printed “perfectly.” Why lackadaisically stand by the printing pages when you could be sculpting your calves with calf raises? Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, press up onto the tippy toes, pause at the top, then lower back down. Repeat for three sets of 12-15 reps, or until the printing, faxing, or scanning is done. Ready to level up? Try raising only one leg at a time.

6 – Desk pushups can be a good strengthener. (First, make sure your desk is solid enough to support your weight.) While standing put your hands on the desk. Walk backward, then do push-ups against the desk. Repeat 15 times.

7 – Glance at the wall clock and rip off a minute’s worth of jumping jacks

8  – Do a football-like drill of running in place for 60 seconds. Get those knees up!

Stretching:

1 – To stretch your back and strengthen your biceps, place your hands on the desk and hang on. Slowly push your chair back until your head is between your arms and you’re looking at the floor. Then slowly pull yourself back in. Again, 15 of these.

2 – Forget emailing the guy three cubes over – walk. Remember, walks to the vending machine don’t count!

Tip:

1 – Invest in a large size stability ball or stability ball-style desk chair. Sit on it with your back straight and abs firm. You will burn calories stabilizing your core and body on the ball. While an actual stability ball is more effective, the chair is usually a more viable option to use in an office environment. While sitting or talking on the phone, you can bounce or do basic toning exercises. Use the actual ball form in moderation when typing, as this is probably not the most supportive seating to prevent carpal tunnel and tendinitis.

2 – The Stair Master: Want to avoid elevator small talk in favor of elevating the heart rate? Take the stairs! Accelerate on the straight-always and take two at a time every other flight for a real leg burn. Don’t have stairs? Do lunges in the boardroom

3 – Like at a previous office I used to work at, we’d have a bootcamp group after work and during lunch hours! This helped everyone stay accountable!