7 Office Exercises To Be Always Fit
Dear lilioftheworld.com reader, here is Dimo, your co-editor. If you landed on this page, you have already decided to do some office exercises. And this is a very good decision. We know that a significant part of the health issues that we face nowadays are directly or indirectly related to our sedentary lifestyle. I have personally witnessed this with friends of mine. Therefore, during the last years I have put efforts to motivate the people around me to increase their physical activity under the motto “be #AlwaysFit“. The present article is another step in this direction.
Exercising at work is a good opportunity to increase your daily activity. There are two important characteristics about the office exercises: 1. sweating has to be limited and 2. we use mainly the weight of our bodies. Respectively, most of the office exercises you will find on the Internet are less intensive and closer to stretching. What I suggest in the lines below goes in the direction of endurance and strength training, addressing all key muscle groups. I have practiced the exercises together with my colleagues every day for several months. So before we continue with the exercises themselves, see below some takeaways from our experience.
When?
The optimal time slots for office exercises are just before lunch or in the afternoon (3-4 p.m.).
How long?
About 10-15 minutes are enough. If you want to go longer than this, then just start a morning routine at home 🙂
Where?
A conference room or other big office space. Keep in mind that you should do your workout in a way, which doesn’t bother or distract the rest of your colleagues. Ideally your training location has a window for fresh air.
What results should I expect?
The most obvious benefit is the feel-good factor after the workout. You are toned and full of power. In addition, physical activity improves your concentration, so you will be more productive on the job.
The office exercises cannot replace regular training, but if you are persistent in the long run, you could observe some positive changes in your body 🙂
Enough introduction. Let’s get back to work and see, which are the best office exercises for a quick strength workout.
1. Plank
This is an essential exercise, which strengthens your core, deltoid (shoulders) and various leg muscles. Planking improves your body posture. The better body posture increases your productivity, impacts positively your mood and aids breathing. It is perfect exercise for people who tend to lean ahead to their monitors. Further to this, planking eases any back pain due to better support from stronger core muscles. As significant part of your body is put into action, plank improves also your metabolism. You can start with 30 seconds and then build on.
Tip: Pay attention to the correct body posture. Place forearms on the floor with elbows aligned below shoulders. Keep your body straight. The tension should be felt on your core and not on your back. Should you feel a back pain, your posture is most likely incorrect.
More information on proper plank position and plank variations can be found in this interesting “how to” contribution from greatist.com.
2. Wall Sit
It might look like taking a break and relaxing against the wall, but this exercise engages the whole lower body: Quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, etc. Regular practice builds endurance and strength. Initially you could hold the position for a minute and then gradually increase.
Tip: For a good wall sit posture, keep your feet at about shoulder-width apart. Your upper back should lean against the wall and your core muscles should be parallel to the wall. Keep an upright upper body. The knee angle should be 90 degrees with your thighs close to parallel to the ground.
I find theworkoutdigest.com rather useful if you want to know more about the correct body posture and wall sit variations.
3. Push Up
The good old push up. Another essential exercise. The classic push up version engages chest, deltoid and triceps. Start from a number of repetitions that feels comfortable and then increase gradually with time. There are lots of push up variations. You will never get bored 🙂
Tip: Focus shouldn’t be on the number of repetitions, but on the quality. Therefore, I would recommend doing the push ups slowly so you can feel the tension of all muscles engaged. Your hands should be exactly or slightly wider than your shoulder-width apart. When doing the push up your elbows should be in about 45 degrees angle to your body. Keep your core tight and make sure that your body remains straight.
Some more information on the proper push up can be found on nerdfitness.com.
4. Squats
The standard bodyweight squat works through many of your leg muscles: quads, hamstrings, glutes, abdominals, calves. Among many other benefits, the squats shape and tone your lower body. In addition to this you burn lots of calories. You could start with 10 repetitions and then increase gradually.
Tip: the recipe to a good bodyweight squat is to stand with feet slightly wider than hip-width and slightly outward looking toes. Keep your core tight to stabilize posture and then with the chest upward, start shifting your weight back to your heels. The hips should be pushed behind as you squat down. The movement is similar to sitting on a chair. Lower yourself until the thighs are parallel to the floor. The feet remain flat on the ground and your knees remain over your second toe. Exhale as you push back to upright position.
I find openfit.com rather useful for some more details on the proper squat.
5. Chair (or Desk) Dips
This is one of the most effective exercises for your triceps (back of the upper arm). A less known fact is that the triceps is a larger muscle than the biceps and thus has a bigger potential to grow. Put into simple words: if you train your triceps regularly it can increase your arm size 🙂
Tip for a proper dip: Make sure that the chair/desk is static. Sit on your chair with arms at your side and your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your hands so that your palms are down beside your hips. Your fingers gripping the front of the seat. Move your torso forward off the chair with your arms extended. Breathe in as you slowly lower your body, hinging at the elbows until each forms a 90-degree angle. Breathe out as you push up to your starting position with your arms fully extended. Be sure to keep your elbows straight behind you versus splaying them outward. Don’t shrug your shoulders. Keep them neutral with your neck relaxed. Thanks to healthline.com for those detailed instructions 🙂
6. Superman
Well, you won’t become as strong as Superman, neither will you learn to fly 🙂 However, the posture reminds to the flying Superman. The targeted muscle groups are the glutes, hamstrings and back muscles.
Tip: Lie face down on the floor, with your legs straight and your arms outstretched forward. Raise both your arms and legs at the same time so that they are 10-15cm off the floor, forming a bowl shape with your body. Hold this position for a few seconds (imagine you’re flying at this stage, it will help the time pass), then lower back to the starting position. You should feel your lower back, glutes and hamstrings working in the hold position.
While performing the Superman make sure that your head is in a neutral position in line with your spine. If you feel like you’re straining your neck, stop and check your form. For more details on the technique check out coachmag.co.uk.
7. Desk Pull Up
This isn’t a very popular exercise, but is another idea for the office space. It is interesting, because it involves your biceps (along back and shoulders). In addition it improves your grip strength. Note: make sure that your desk is stable enough (there is a risk of turning the desk on yourself) and holds your weight before starting.
Tip: grab your desk/table and hold your grip tight. Inhale. As you exhale activate your core and using your arms pull your body off the ground. Pull up until your chest gets closest possible to the table without bumping your head 🙂 The edge of the table should line up to the middle of your chest. One variation is bending your knees so that you step on the floor with your whole foot. Poleathletica.com gives the full technique.
I hope that you feel inspired from the exercise recommendations and can’t wait to start your new office routine! You will enjoy amazing benefits in the long run! So, have fun and be Always Fit!
Stay tuned for our next Active Life topics!
PS: special Thank You to our photographer Svet Petroff and our models: Desi, Lili and Lyubo. Thank You also to Bulsatcom for offering its premises for the photo shoot!
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