1. Ankle weights. If you regularly wear pants to work, this is perfect for you. Putting a two pound weight, or more, on both legs will increase how hard your legs have to work during your regular movements. If you move around a lot during your day, then the extra calorie burn will add up fast. If you spend most of your time sitting, you can do leg lifts and other seated exercises while you work, and the weights will add a little extra oomph. Bonus tip: put an alarm on your phone to go off every hour, and perform a set of exercises every time it goes off. There’s no worrying about “remembering” anything throughout the day.
2. Resistance bands. These are lightweight, mobile, and easy to shove in your desk or bag so that it doesn’t feel like an extra chore to have them around. Anytime that you’re sitting, or performing an activity that requires little to no movement, pull out some resistance bands. You can loop them around your ankles and use both legs against each other, or wrap them around your desk leg to do some bicep curls. The possibilities are endless.
3. Stand every hour. Just like with tip #1, setting an hourly alarm on your phone is an easy way to remind yourself to move. If you sit all day, get up and take a lap around the office. If you’re on your feet most of the day, try some calf raises. These two are easy to do without too many coworkers noticing, but if you are truly shameless then doing some squats will be worth the effort. Ten squats every hour during a regular eight hour work day adds up to 80 squats a day, but feels a lot easier since you’re only doing ten an hour.
4. Take advantage of your lunch break. Most of the time, we look forward to our lunch break as a time to chit chat, catch up on Facebook, or surf the Internet mindlessly. Getting up and moving for even part of your lunch break can burn some extra calories, and also give you a chance to decompress. When it’s nice out, go for a walk around the block or wherever you can around your work. The sunshine will instantly make you feel ten times better and energize you for the second half of the day. If there’s a coworker you look forward to catching up with every day, go for a walk together! Having a light lunch means more time to move, and having something you can eat on the go is even better. If you can’t go out and walk during your break, you can do some of the previously mentioned exercises right where you are.
5. Create a game. This would be a fun way to get others involved. Do you have a coworker that overuses a certain word? Challenge your coworkers to one minute of walking everytime the word is said. Is your copy machine constantly jamming? Add ten squats for every misfeed. Think of the phrase, “If I had a nickel every time…” and replace that nickle with an exercise of some sort. It will certainly add up! As your colleagues begin to notice things that happen frequently around the work place, everyone will be adding their own touch to it. You will laugh, bond, and ultimately get to know your colleagues a bit better each day. Personally, I’d be in AWESOME shape if a did an exercise every time I lost something I was just holding.
Remember, health and wellness can work ten-fold when enjoying it with others.
Hold the Crazy 