Office Exercise?

Zoe_Rebecca

I work in an office 9 - 5 so it's not always easy to exercise (i know.. excuses, excuses) but I'm anemic so most days by the time I'm home all I want to do is sleep!

Is there any subtle exercising you can do while at your desk or in the office just to keep the metabolism going and maximize burn throughout the day? I do walk half way and get the bus the other half to and from work but it's not always enough..

Thanks

ortega1990

If you have a stairwell in your building you can go up and down stairs. I've also heard of people doing wall push ups, squats, other body exercises in the bathroom stalls at work - get your workout in a little privacy!

Chief_Rocka

Is there any subtle exercising you can do while at your desk or in the office just to keep the metabolism going

Doing nothing or taking a nap would keep the metabolism going, although it would likely get you fired.

llpttp38

I understand you, I work in an office as well. I walk on my breaks and on my lunch as well when its nice outside, Heres a site to check out hope it helps.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise-at-work/5-easy-exercises-to-do-at-work.htm

vegkitten

I take walks on my morning breaks. It's not a lot, but it's something. When I worked in a building with stairs, I took the stairs every time I had to go from floor to floor (and I walked every break, so I'd use the stairs down and up each time, and to and from the lunch room). At your desk, you could use ankle weights, and move your legs up and down. I also have one of those little cycle things where it's just the pedals. I can't use it at this job, but at other ones I've been able to. Just put it under your desk and pedal through the day.

All4Me2014xx

If your office will allow it, you could get an exercise ball to sit on at your desk instead of a chair. Keeping yourself balanced properly will continuously work your core.

JustSomeEm

I sometimes do leg lifts in my chair.
Standing up at your desk and doing toe raises (not what they're actually called, but I'm drawing a blank), where you stand up, then go to your toes then back to your feet - repeat as many times as necessary.
Butt clenches (don't laugh)
Get up and walk to the next cube to deliver a message instead of calling or emailing
take the stairs
Park farther away from the office to get a couple of extra steps in before and after work

I also stretch a LOT, and it seems to really help with the 'office malaise'.

ttcbelieve

Push up, Squats, Planks at your desk during your break time.

grandmothercharlie

Don't forget strength training, too. I keep a resistance band in my office. Shut the door and exercise with it for about 15 minutes a day.

_lyndseybrooke_

You don't need to do anything to keep your metabolism running other than be alive. Your metabolism is ALWAYS running, even when you're asleep.

Do you have your own office with a door? If so, it's easy to get in some exercise. I work out at 5AM, but since I sit on my butt for most of the day at work, I like to do 10-15 minutes of cardio/bodyweight stuff just to make myself feel like less of a lazy bum. In other words, I don't do it for the calorie burn. I just close my door when my lunch hour starts and do one of the five "routines" I've designed - Monday is cardio/abs, Tuesday is cardio kickboxing, Wednesday is a little mix of random stuff, Thursday is just a basic HIIT-style cardio routine, and Friday is a mix-up of fast and slow cardio intervals I got from FitnessBlender. Anything that can be done in a small space, because my office is tiny.

If you don't have an office, walking up and down stairs at lunch would work. As for things you can do at your desk - http://www.forbes.com/sites/jacquelynsmith/2013/02/06/the-10-best-exercises-to-do-at-your-desk/

I've also heard of people doing squats in the bathroom stall. I'd suggest only doing this if no one else is in the bathroom with you, though.

gobonas99

I work 8:30-5:30 most days....including usually working through lunch (I just eat at my desk)....and then I work anywhere from 2-4 hours at home at least one evening a week. Plus my commute time (roughly 20 minutes each way).

I either get up early and workout first thing in the am (30-60 minutes), or I workout as soon as I get home from work or I go to yoga class on my way home (again, 30-60 minutes). On weekends, I get my long rides and runs in - usually at least 2 hours...though it's not unheard of for me to go on a 3+ hour ride with friends.

It's definitely doable, you just need to commit to it. :flowerforyou:

wkwebby

If you have a wall that is sturdy, you could do wall sits. This will get those quads BURNING if you do it for a minute or so at a time. They are great, but only if you have a solid wall to lean up against.

Squats are always a good one too (and the butt clenches). :happy:

mbz0616

Body weight exercises:
- Dips, with your hands on a chair seat instead of a bench
- Pushups, with your hands on a chair seat or a railing instead of a mat
- Squats
- Plie Squats
- Calf Raises
- 1 Leg Calf Raises
- Lunges

If you keep a set of dumbbells in your desk drawer:
- Triceps Extensions
- 1 Arm Bent Over Rows
- Veritical Rows
- Lateral Raises
- Front Raises
- Shoulder Press
- Arnolds
- Curls
- Weighted Calf Raises
- Weighted Lunges
- Weighted Squats
- Weighted Plie Squats

Asherah29

I have a set of pedals under my desk that I can use while I sit. I also do lunges/squats in the bathroom and try to walk as much as possible. Workouts are either before or after work, however they fit in.

Cielazul

I have a "Desk Cycle", a small, under the desk cycling machine. I splurged and got one with great reviews, but it cost about $150, and it is very quiet. I am able to use it while typing on a computer but I only use it when I am alone in my workspace, or in front of colleagues who know about my weight loss efforts.

Tab122377

I go to the gym in the AM before work if i miss it i have no other time. Do the stairs at least one break most time i end up eating on calls. Thank you all for your ideals i can do while on the calls with out touching the dirty floor.

sssnewyork

Because I work such long hours, I find it hard to find the time to get to the gym. This year, I've decided to try to incorporate exercise into my daily routine as much as possible. These are some of the steps I've taken: 1. Walk the 8 blocks each way from my commuter train to work and back; 2. Send my print jobs to a printer on the floor below me, forcing myself to go up and down the stairs 6-10 times a day; 3. When waiting in the copy room for my copy job, I will do pushups off the countertop, squats, lunges, whatever standing exercises I can think of; 4. I set my outlook to remind me to stretch 3 times during the day and keep a PT rubber band in my desk to exercise my arms and shoulders before stretching them (still recovering from a bad bout of frozen shoulder). If you spend your day looking for ways to exercise, it's surprising how many opportunities you'll find.

ZombieMom79

Sorry to sound mean but it is an excuse. I work 7:30 to 4:00 everyday. I have 2 kids under 5. I still manage to get in 10km, 12,000 minimum a day. Most jobs give you breaks and a lunch. In my eyes, no one "needs" 30 mins to eat lunch. I take 10, and walk or run the other 20. I actually come into work earlier so I can take an hour lunch to exericse.

And if you are anemic and want to sleep you really should see a doctor about that.

MamaNatalie13

Could you use a standing desk? I just started using one yesterday and I absolutely love it. Aside from the health benefits, I also find it makes me much more productive.

_runnerbean_

Get a phone that has a speaker or no wire and walk around during all phone calls. Walk or run during your lunch break. Go to a toilet on a different floor to get a walk plus stairs for each bathroom break.

Legs_McGee

Don't you get a lunch break? That's when I go on most of my runs. But as far as IN the office, I'm up and down the stairs all day long. Mostly because I run downstairs, forget why I'm down there, run back upstairs, remember what I needed downstairs .....

And I dance in front of the copy machine - because I have the music in me.

snowflake930

I work in an office, very long hours. Most days 11-12 hours. 45 minute commute one way.
I get up at 2 am. Arrive at the office by 3:30. Work out in the office gym for 40 minutes. Walk on my lunch break. Whenever I get up from my desk I walk up and down the stairs. I go for a walk with my dog in evening after I get home.
Where there is the will, you will find a way.
BTW, I will be 63 on 9/30. I was morbidly obese when I began here on 3/12/12. I could not walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath. I did not begin to even walk until I had lost 90# in October of 2012.
If I can do it, anyone can do it.

JoseCastaneda

I use half of my lunch break to walk around the office. Also, my office building has only 1 floor, so sometimes I walk to the nearest building, and walk up the stairs 20 floors up and down.

I also try not to stay seated for more than 2 hour without giving a quick walk in the office.

meridianova

i've been googling "desk yoga" to provide some good stretches and mental breaks. i'm not going to comment on the effectiveness of yoga as exercise, but it's less goofy-looking than chair dancing.

vanillacoffee

My co worker and I try to work out in the office as best we can on lunch- squats, floor work, etc.
I just try to get up and walk as much as I can. I wear a Jawbone UP to count steps and aim for 10,000 between home and work (luckily, I can get up a lot, as its part of my job to go to different rooms, but I do it a lot)

samanthagraessle

I know what you mean. And the only stairs in my office are 7 stairs to go to the rest room. So everytime I go to the rest room I do 15-20 wall push ups and do 10-15 squats. Some days I only go to the restroom twice, sometimes I'm drinking lots of water and I make 5 trips. Haha. I also stretch sitting in my seat twice a day during my down time and its slow.
Here is a link to give a look at!

http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/diet-fitness/exercise-at-work/10-office-exercises-you-can-do-secretly.htm#page=0

aledba

If you have a stairwell in your building you can go up and down stairs. I've also heard of people doing wall push ups, squats, other body exercises in the bathroom stalls at work - get your workout in a little privacy!

Eww. Excercising in a bathroom just seems gross.

Early_Riser

Planks and Dips

JustinAnimal

I used to work in a big call center at a cubicle. I would get away with 10 lb. dumbbells, doing tricep extensions, bicep curls, shoulder raises, overhead press, random things. I don't think I got humongously buff doing it, but I got a little extra bump in my arms, kept the blood / metabolism flowing, felt better about my burrito on lunch, etc.

ksolksol

May sound strange, but I went to the home improvement store and got a short chunk of big PVC pipe. I taped/glued fabric to it for traction and stuck it under my desk. I can at least slip off my shoes, roll it back and forth and keep my legs moving somewhat. Less expensive than an under-desk cycle and less chance of bumping my knees.

funchords

If your office will allow it, you could get an exercise ball to sit on at your desk instead of a chair. Keeping yourself balanced properly will continuously work your core.

I was going to say this as well.