Exercise Recommendations Please!

thisisthatverymab

My job requires that I stand at a counter 2-3 hours every day, and I would love to find a way to exercise during the slow peiods. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Please keep in mind that I'm wearing typical work clothes (dresses, skirts, slacks, etc.), I can't leave the counter, I have to remain visible (meaning I can't lay down or sit on the ground), and I need to remain somewhat professional/I don't want to look like a complete idiot (meaning no jumping jacks, standing on my head, etc.)

Sorry! I know that is pretty limiting, but I'm hoping that maybe someone out there will have some tips for exercises they do while working a similar job or know some helpful strectches, etc. that would work within these limitations.

Thanks in advance!

Lindsey


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kacasey276

Squats or lunges... You can do like 15 every hour... It wont take u away from the counter, itll be quick and throughout the day, the reps will add up!

darciecoles

Basic neck, shoulder, arm stretches are really easy to fit into a work day regardless of if you're sitting or standing all day. You can even throw in some good quad, gastroc and soleus (calf) stretches every once in a while.

Proprioception (balance) exercises are really good to throw in if you're on your feet all day, so long as you're wearing sensible shoes (no heels). The two that I recommend to my clients are standing on one leg for as long as you can and writing the alphabet (capital letters) with one, then the other, foot. This is especially good if you have had ankle or knee issues past or present.

Contracting your core (bring your pelvis as far forward and up as possible) and kegel exercises are really important, especially as women are more prone to urinary incontinence as they age. Also, stretching your pecs and strengthening mid traps and your rhomboids is really important as women also typically carry more weight in front. The way that I suggest people do this is clasp their hands behind their back and pull their shoulder blades together and down (the added force from your arms helps stretch out pecs)--then I tell them to keep their shoulder blades in that position and let their hands and arms relax (this forces the midtraps and rhomboids to take over the stretch). Yes, you will be sticking your chest out while doing this, and if you're overly self conscious of this keep your hands loosely clasped to make it look like a stretch.

Ankle pumps are also a great way to keep the circulation in your legs going if you're in a static position today (standing or sitting). Veins don't have muscle tissue in them, so they rely on external muscular contraction to push blood back to the heart and lungs.

vabrewer33

Squats and calf raises are easy to do during slow times and don't make you look like a weirdo..I do them while I'm standing at my computer charting

Holmfridur_Gestsdottir

Squats and lunges, for sure. There are many variations on lunges so you would be able to get some variations. Also if you have a box you could jump up on it or step up on it, depending. Also, if you have a resistance band, you might be able to do all sorts of exercises with that, if that is at all possible in your situation. Hmmm ... you might want to try and lean towards a wall, and then sink into a sitting postiion, and hold it for a while - I have done that a few times after a leg exercise and man, it burns!

thisisthatverymab

Wow! Thank you SO much! These are great! In fact... I'm doing some of them right now!

Lindsey


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Nopedotjpeg

Standing Calf Raises and Bodyweight Squats.