Get in a Workout - at Work

Posted May 8, 2008 at 10:00 AM by Katie Drummond

Section: Her Fitness, Her Health

Most American women spend a large part of the day (think 9 to 5) sitting at a desk. For those of you lucky enough to work outside or have fitness included in your job description, it isn’t a struggle to maintain an active lifestyle while bringing home the bacon. But for the rest of us, who want to keep the bacon in our wallets (instead of on our thighs), easy ways to include more activity in our daily lives can make a big difference.

Staying active at work isn’t necessarily about losing weight or toning up – for most, moving around during the day keeps blood flowing, the mind working and the muscles loose and flexible. In other words, a little bit of at-work fitness makes you do your job better and keeps your body primed for your next sweaty workout session.

In addition to the typical tips – park away from your office or walk to work, take outdoor breaks whenever you can, and so on – here are a few more at-work moves to try. Aim to do them at least twice a day, and if you can incorporate more intensive exercise (like, if you have your own office and won’t be glared at for doing bicep curls between phone calls), that’s even better.

1. Warm up: To keep your muscles relaxed and blood circulating, do a few warm-up stretches whenever you can.

-Tilt your head to one side and then the other, stretching your neck. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat three times a side. -Lift your arms and rotate your wrists, ten times in each direction. -Link your fingers together and stretch out your arms as far as you can, reaching overhead to complete the stretch.

2. Ab strengthener: Seated in your office chair, with your back straight, fold your arms over your chest and keep abs in. Curl over and feel your abs engage, then rise and repeat 10 times. 3. Leg lifts: Again, you can stay seated for this one. With your back straight, lift one leg off the ground and raise it out at a 90 degree angle to your torso. Hold for 10 seconds, then switch legs, doing 10 per leg. 4. Bottle squeeze: Move your butt out a bit on your seat, and place a filled water bottle between your legs. Keeping your abs engaged, squeeze the bottle to work the inner thighs and core muscles. Hold for 10-20 seconds, and repeat five times. 5. Back twist: This will strengthen your digestive tract and loosen your back muscles and spine. Sit up straight, and start the twist by placing your right hand on top of the right side of your chair. Slowly twist from bottom to top, with your left hand on your lap. Repeat on the other side.