Most of us who are bound by a 9 to 5 job find no time to exercise. Well, the best part about exercises is that they can be done secretly in the office too.
Let’s face a known fact: it is patently embarrassing to lift your arms or your legs in an attempt to exercise at the office. So, no matter how many exercises you look up that are suitable for a 9-5 job, you will only be overwhelmed with disappointment that there is not much that you can really do without inviting undue attention on yourself. Sitting at your desk and exercising is hilarious, sure, but who said you cannot pull a leg or two on the sly? Try these exercises in the medical room, the dark passageway that shadows tech garbage or just about anywhere that keeps everyone’s eyes away and your co-workers won’t believe you “don’t have time for the gym”.
Each Step Matters
Remember that every tiny step you take towards your workplace matters. The first thing for a fit bod that you can do is take the stairs as much as possible. Every time you climb a stair, you burn a quarter of a calorie. Summing up the total calories burnt throughout the day will wider your grin. You could also burn extra calories by doing single, double and triple steps.
Clench the Butt Cheeks
The best part about this sly exercise is that no one will come to know though there is a possibility of your face sweating it out. Isometrics are the new way to tone those muscles without really coming off as a fitness fanatic. You could also clench your fists and flex the forearms and while doing so, count to 10. That burns a lot of calories. When squeezing the butt cheeks together, try to rise up from your seat about an inch, count to 10 and relax. If you want extra calorie burn and a whole body workout, clench the fist, flex the forearms and any other muscle from the shoulders down.
The Last Man Standing gets the Biggest Reward
There is no better exercise than standing. While standing may not be the traditional form of exercise popularly recommended by people, researches show that longer periods of standing prevents a lot of problems that longer periods of sitting causes. These medical conditions include obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. So, try to stand how much ever and wherever you can. What’s even better is that you can rope in other colleagues to stand with you as well.
Seated Leg Raise
When your colleagues are celebrating their performance raise and your turn is yet to come, the best thing to do is do the leg raise instead. And, this can be done under the desk. When seated, straighten one or both the legs and hold it is place for a while, preferably till you finishing counting till 10. Now, bring the leg/s back to the normal position without touching the ground, repeat the counting and relax. Use alternate leg and follow the same steps.
Under the Desk Handshake
Sit straight up on your chair and let the feet stretch flat on the floor, now clasp the hands as if you are giving yourself a handshake. The thumb of one hand should face the ceiling and the thumb of the other should face downwards. Avoid moving the arms and you’d feel the biceps.
If you are in the habit of forgetting to do exercises at work, set reminders on your phone or desktop.
Image courtesy: Getty Images
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