With warm weather around the corner, many people are eager to start getting their bodies summer-ready. Often, it can be tough to find the time and the motivation to fit in exercise while also working a full-time job. This is especially more difficult if you are also a full-time working parent. With only so many hours in the day, working parents have a hard time maintaining a fit lifestyle while also trying to balance their other life responsibilities. That is why one of the best times to implement fitness is within your workday. This can include going to the gym during your lunch break but does not have to be limited to just that. There are many other creative ways to fit exercise into your day that often don’t even involve a gym membership. Keep reading to find four helpful ideas that will help you keep physically fit.
Goodbye Office Chair
Try replacing your office chair with a resistance ball. It has been reported that sitting all day brings large hazards to your health. Not only does it increase your risk of diabetes, but it has also been shown to increase your risk of heart disease as well as issues with posture, including a bad back and a strained neck. If you are interested in learning the other possible side effects of sitting too often, here is a really great and informative article. With the negative side effects sitting too long has, a resistance ball is a great substitute to an office chair as you have more freedom of movement and the opportunity to work more of your core muscles. If you’re in the market for a resistance ball, Wayfair offers a great exercise chair perfect for the office. If you’re an Amazon Prime member you can check out the Vivora Luno Sitting Ball.
Standing Workstation
Use a standing work station. With the health risks of sitting too often becoming more well-known, more and more offices are starting to make the investment and offering standing workstations to their employees. It’s been said that working at a standing desk helps avoid weight gain as it can help to burn over 170 additional calories. Not only does standing help avoid weight gain but it also can affect the longevity of your life as reducing your sitting time to only 3 hours a day can help to add 2 years to your life expectancy. Another interesting idea that employees are starting to implement is holding standing meetings. It’s been reported that standing meetings help reduce meetings times by 25%. Employees reported feeling more productive and that the act of standing helped eliminate distractions such as group chats and the temptation of answering emails. The Executive Office Solutions Standing Desk is an affordable option that allows for versatility depending on your office set-up.
Walk, Walk, Walk
Walk as much as possible. If you are one of the many people with a Fitbit aiming to get a certain number of steps in per day, walking around the office as much as possible will help you achieve your goal. One of the best and most common things to do is to take a short walk during your lunch break. This not only gets you a little bit of physical activity but it allows yourself a mental break from the office. Apart from that, there are ways to achieve a large number of steps within the office as well. Instead of messaging a co-worker, walk to their desk to share the message or avoid the elevator and take the stairs whenever possible. Another great tip is to set a reminder for yourself to get up and actively move every so often.
In-Office Workouts
Do in-office workouts. If you find yourself lacking enough time to go to the gym during your workday, one of the next best options is doing workouts in the convenience of your own office. No exercise equipment is needed and there are things that you can easily do while wearing your dress shirt. There are workouts that require only your office chair such as tricep dips and squats. If you have a ream of paper available, you can always use that for shoulder presses. There are also workouts you can do by implementing exercise against a wall. This includes a wall sit and/or modified push-ups. If you are interested in more creative ways to stay fit in the office, here is a great article that will give you some ideas.
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Photo Credit: Photo by Kaboompics from Pexels, Photo by Alexander Pemberton on Unsplash, Photo by Anete Lūsiņa on Unsplash
