Updated: 2/5/2020
So you’ve made your New Year’s Resolutions and number one on your list is to make it to the gym several times a week. As we make our resolutions, we often forget why we don’t follow through with them in the first place. For this resolution in particular, maybe the reason you don’t get to the gym every day is that you don’t always have the time. You’ve had a busy day, you have a full schedule after work, and when you finally do have time, you have to go to sleep and start all over again the next day. While this is still a great goal to have, we hope to offer you some realistic tips to help you live a healthier life even if it isn’t at the gym.
Here are seven ways to work out at your office. It may not be the full workout you would get at the gym, but a little bit of exercise is better than none at all. You may feel somewhat silly as you do these workouts next to your desk computer with so-and-so on the phone next door, but you’ll definitely be happy you did once you make it a habit and start seeing the results.
1. Work Out While on the Phone
Instead of sitting down all day, find times when you can stand or walk around—like when you’re making a phone call. You can even march in place as you talk, which will rid you of some of those calories you filled up on at breakfast or lunch that day.
2. Take Your Meetings and Messages on a Walk
One downfall of working at an office is that we sit all day long. The key to becoming more active is to do just that…be more active. Instead of sitting down in a conference room to meet with someone or emailing a coworker all of your messages and reports, go for a walk instead. Walk with the person you are meeting with and have your meeting. Let someone else have the conference room for a change. If you have to sit down for the meeting, book the conference room that is farther away so you have to walk farther to get there. And instead of emailing messages to a coworker all of the time, walk them the message instead. Designate a day when you distance yourself from your email so you can get some exercise.
3. Chair Substitute
Purchase an exercise ball and sit on it while you work instead of your office chair. This will help tone your core and straighten up your posture. You’ll even feel like you are being more productive because you will be working out while you work. As a word of caution though, this was not meant to be sat on all day. Sit on the exercise ball in intervals because it will put more stress on your back the longer you sit on it.
4. Get Rid of Your Trash Can
This is another great trick that can help you walk farther so you can get rid of some calories. If you don’t have a trash can conveniently located by your desk, you can walk to the kitchen or conference room or the other side of the building to throw away your trash.
5. Find a Fitness Buddy
See if one of your coworkers wants to join you in a step-count competition. Wear pedometers and see how many steps you take in a week.
6. Purchase a Desk Stepper
These small cardio machines that you can put under your desk work like a mini stair-stepper. So without even getting out of your office chair, you can do the desk stepper workout and burn some calories. These little machines can be found at Walmart or other chain stores for less than fifty dollars.
7. Drink Out of a Small Glass
Instead of getting one of the large cups at work to fill up with water, use small glasses so you can burn some calories as you walk back and forth for refills. If you don’t like water, discover some ways you can add some flavor and make it more enjoyable. Additionally, if you drink enough water, you’ll need to take frequent bathroom breaks. Instead of using those bathrooms close to you, use the bathrooms on a different floor so you have a longer distance to walk.
You may think if you do all of these things, you’ll never get your work done. Be smart about how you incorporate these workouts into your daily routine at the office. You may not be able to use all of these ideas, but you can surely implement a couple of them and work your way up from there.
Also, if you would like to hear about more little workouts you can do at work, see Exercise at Your Desk by WebMD.
