If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably made the most of the all-inclusive buffet on your summer holiday, three courses, three times a day and as for the bar, all those G&Ts aren’t conducive to a six pack, even if you did stick to a slimline tonic. Not to worry, now it’s back to work, we’ve found some simple workouts you can actually do whilst in the office, and what’s better, some can actually be done at your desk.
All joking aside, Public Health England (PHE) issued a report at the end of August with some eye-opening figures for those of us who are over 40. PHE estimates that four out of every 10, 40 -60-year olds do not even manage a brisk 10 minutes walk each month and that low levels of inactivity may be damaging their health. To help you get and stay active we a selection of office based activities which you could try.
- The Wall Street Sit – This exercise is great for building strength and endurance. Start by standing with your back against the wall, bend the knees and slide your back down the wall until your thighs are parallel to the floor and hold for 30 – 60 seconds.
- Printercise – Whilst you’re waiting patiently for that 200-word white paper to print, why not try sculpting your calves by adding a few calf raises whilst you wait? Keep your feet shoulder width apart, press up onto your tip toes, pause at the top and then lower back down, repeat for three sets or until your document has finished printing.
- The Seat Squeeze – we like this one as it requires sitting and can be undertaken at your desk at any point during the day. This exercise focuses on the isometric glutes, to start you need to squeeze that particular muscle in question, hold for 10 seconds and release. Continue until your meeting finishes or you hang up from your conference call. This one comes with a word of warning, please try and keep a straight face whilst you’re doing this workout.
- Hammy for lunch and not in a sandwich – it might be lunch time, but what better way to work off that ham and mayo sandwich than undertaking a few standing leg curls. To get started, stand behind your chair, holding on for support, then gently kick one foot back aiming the heel for the top of your thigh. Lower the foot back down and repeat the exercise with the other leg. We recommend ten reps per bite of your sandwich.
- The Shoulder Shrug – Not recommended during meetings unless you want your boss to think you have no opinion on anything. Simply raise both shoulders up towards your ears, hold for five seconds, then relax. Repeat these for 15 reps.
You can see a full office work out here
If you do have a go at any of these office workouts, or have your own in mind, we’d love to see the evidence. Please submit your own office based workout pictures to marketing@spaceway.co.uk