Aerobic exercises such as marching in place and muscle-strengthening exercises such as biceps curls with water bottles get your blood pumping.
People are made to get moving ? not to sit at their desks for hours on end. However, the reality for many folks is that much of their lives are spent sitting. The good news? There are plenty of stretching, muscle strengthening and aerobic exercises you can do while working to break up your daily routine and supplement your overall fitness regimen.
Aerobics
You need to stand up for many of these exercises, but there?s no need to leave your desk or cubicle.
- Run or march in place for one minute. Get your knees up.
- Pretend you?re jumping rope.
- Shadow box or punch the air with alternating arms for about a minute.
- Do split-squat jumps; position your feet hip-width apart, set one leg back into a lunge, and explode upwards. Do each side 10 to 12 times.
- Sit down, and alternate between pumping your hands over your head (about 30 seconds) and tapping your feet on the floor like you?re running (30-second chunks as well).
- Dance in your seat.
Stretching and muscle strengthening
Strength training is a key step to staying healthy, and stretching is especially important if you have a job where you are sitting down for most of the day. Here are a few exercises that you can perform:
- Stand, and position your feet shoulder-width apart. Get on tiptoes, pause, and return to your starting position. Do three sets of up to 15 reps.
- Squeeze your buttocks, hold them for 10 seconds, and release. Repeat until your muscles get tired.
- Straighten one leg, or both legs, for more than five seconds. Slowly lower the leg, and add weight to add oomph and challenge.
- Enlist the help of your desk chair for desk squats. Grip the back of the chair, and bend your knees for about 15 seconds. Do six reps.
- Put a sealed package of paper between your knees. Press your legs together to work your inner thighs. Do this for up to a minute.
- Use a stapler, water bottle or a weight you keep handy for biceps and triceps curls.
- Flap your arms to release your inner penguin. Reach behind you for five seconds at a time, and perform up to 15 reps.
