Exercise At Work! The Hidden Gym In Your Office
October 1, 2008
Can’t seem to find the time for a regular workout at the gym?Try these quick, simple exercise to stay in shape, while working those long hours. With all exercises, perform them in a slow/smooth, controlled fashion. Focus on the muscles being used (tighten that muscle group, while using them). And remember to breath during the exercise!
Cardio
Stairs
Why spend hundreds or even thousands on fancy equipment? If there are stairs at your work, walk quickly up and down them. If it seems a little easy, take two at the time. Be sure and monitor your heart rate, to ensure it is being elevated to the appropriate cardio level.
Speed walk
Take a few minutes, at lunch or during your break, to walk around outside. Again, monitor your heart rate or use the “Perceived Exertion” scale.
Legs
Squats
Stand and hold onto the back of your chair, or the desk for balance, and to ensure a straight back. Keep your weight over your feet. Squat down as if sitting in a chair. Your bottom should not go below your knee line. Keep the toes pointed straight ahead. When standing back up, push from the heels.
Heel Raises
Again, use your chair or desk for balance. Keep the weight centered over your feet. Raise the heels and extend as far as possible, to stand on the balls of the feet. Lower slowly. Vary the exercise by keeping the feet together or feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed straight ahead, pointed inward, or pointed slightly outward.
Side Lunge
Great for the inner thighs! Stand with the feet 2-3 feet apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Keep one leg straight and bend the other into a side lunge. Keep the chest up and the back straight. When pushing from the floor out of the side lunge, push from the heel.
Hamstring Curl
Stand and hold onto the chair or your desk for balance, flex the leg as far as possible toward the buttocks to target the leg biceps.
Chest & Back
Push Up
One of the best all around exercises for chest, triceps and abdominal muscles is the standard push up, on the floor. This exercise has so many variations and is only limited by your imagination. If you want a quick break, hold onto your desk and place the feet behind you so the body is at an approximate 45 degree angle. Lower the chest to lightly touch the edge of the desk and then push away to extend the arms.
Dumbbell Row
If possible, keep a set of hand weights, exercise or surgical tubing in your desk drawer, if not find something around the office with weight that can be held in one hand. Sit in your chair and lean forward to keep your chest down. Reach the arm/arms down with the weight to almost touch the floor. Lift the weights to lightly touch the ribs and slowly lower the weights again toward the floor.
Shoulders
Lateral Shoulder Raise
Begin with the arms at your sides. With weights in each hand (or one arm at a time), keep the arms slightly bent to prevent elbow stress and palms down, slowly raise the arms no higher than your shoulders, slowly lower back to your sides.
Anterior Shoulder Raise
Performance of the exercise is the same as above except raise the weight to the front of the body.
Biceps & Triceps
Biceps
This is another exercise, with many variations. For a basic biceps curl, sit in your chair with your back straight and elbows in and arms straight at your side. With the weights in each hand flex the arms forward upward, toward the chest. Slowly lower the weight back to your sides.
Triceps
Take one weight and bring it overhead. Keep the elbow in (pointed forward). Lower the weight to almost touch the upper back. Extend the arm overhead as far as possible, then slowly lower the weight again.
Abdominal
Gravity takes care of most of this exercise. In an extended push up position (front support) Keep the arms straight. Tighten and think of pulling the abdominal muscles back toward your spine. Hold the tension 5-10 seconds and release. Be sure to exhale while holding the tension and do not hold your breath.
By getting into a regular routine of exercise, during your work day, you can turn your office into a hidden gym!
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