Ok, so your one of those people who just has the worst kind of schedule known to
mankind. You get up at 5am so you can get to the office by 7am to start your day. You have to go to a parent-teachers meeting
at your kid’s school right after work, then you have to take your kid to soccer practice after that. You seem to have
days like this almost all the time. You never seem to have much time for yourself between all of the things you have to do
every day, so how can you possibly find the time to incorporate exercise into your day? Exercise takes time, and time is one
luxury you just don’t have.
Well, there is a way to get
some exercise into your day and that way is to simply exercise at your desk. No, that was not a typo. Here is a little routine
that you can do right at your desk. It doesn’t take up much time and while it will not make you a candidate for the
next fitness competition, it will give your muscles enough work to stay firm.
Complete one set of each exercise in order. Do 10 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, and follow with 1 to 2 more
sets in order if time permits it.
Chair crunch:
Sit tall in your chair with your feet flat on the floor. Begin to slowly round your upper back downward until
you feel your abdominal muscles tighten. Hold for 3-5 seconds, and then return to the start position.
Squats:
Stand up in front of your chair. Sit back
into a squat like you are sitting back down in your chair, keeping your weight on your heels and your knees behind your toes.
When you are almost touching your chair with your butt, push yourself back to the standing position using your leg muscles.
Calf raises:
Stand in front of your desk and put
your hands on the desk for balance. Lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, and then lower
yourself back down to the floor.
Desk pushup:
Stand 4 to 5 feet away from your desk and put of your hands on
the edge of the desk. Relax your lower body and using just your arms, lower your chest down toward the desk and stop when
your chest is about 3 to 6 inches away from it. Then push yourself back up to the starting position again using only your
arms.
Seated triceps lift backs:
Sit tall in your chair. Put your arms down at your sides with your palms facing forward. With your arms strait and elbows
locked, slowly bring your arms up behind you until you feel your triceps muscles tighten. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds, then lower
your arms back to the starting position.
Seated
bicep curls:
Sit tall in your chair. Start with one arm down at your side, palm facing forward in a fist.
Put your other hand over your fist and push against it for resistance while bringing your fist up toward your shoulder. Once
your fist is close to your shoulder, lower it back down to the starting position maintaining constant resistance with the
other hand throughout the entire movement. Complete all repetitions for that set, then switch sides and repeat.
After you have completed each exercise for the amount of repetitions and sets you can
do, sit down and straighten your legs. Now gently reach for your toes until you feel you can’t go any further, hold
for 10 seconds (do not bounce), then return to the starting position. Next, reach your arms out to your sides as far as you
can. Keeping them fully extended, bring them slowly to the front and cross them over each other as far as you can. Hold for
10 seconds, and then return them to your sides. Now, reach your arms over your head as far as you can, hold for 10 seconds,
and then return them to your sides.
Taking the time to do this
simple but effective exercise routine at the office will help to keep you toned and you can do it even with the worst schedule
possible because it can be done during your lunch break and still leave you enough time to eat your lunch.
Enjoy your
workout.
