Physical activity can improve your overall health and reduce the risk of developing diseases like diabetes, certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure. More than one and three adults and one and six children are obese in the United States. Exercise combined with proper nutrition can aid in preventing obesity and chronic health problems.
Physical activity can be as easy as walking the dog, taking an evening stroll, or constant movement for at least 30 minutes. The long-term benefits of physical activity are more energy, mental clarity, increased mood, better sleep, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, managed weight, and prevent chronic disease.
Finding time to work out on a regular basis can be a daunting task. Especially if you barely have time to do anything outside of work and taking care of your family (if you have one). So how can you find ways to squeeze exercise in while at work? For starters take the stairs instead of the elevator. Pick up the pace when you are walking. Eat your lunch while working so you can walk during your lunch break, or if you usually drive to get food on your break, walk instead. Depending on the type of work you do, you can really maximize the space to get a decent mini workout in.
Office Job
If you have an office job and sit at a desk all day you can do different exercises that with work your core, legs, and arms. Leg lifts help with your abs. Sit at the end of your chair and lift your legs up and down. Try doing 3 reps. The first rep 20, second rep 15, and third rep 10. You’ll feel it on your core. Another exercise to try while sitting is ankle rotations, this helps with the flexibility in your ankles.
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Squats is another exercise you can do while at work that helps with legs and glutes. Next time you are typing or on the try doing 3 reps of squats. You can also stand and do 3 reps of side leg lifts. These can also be done if you are on the copier machine.
If you want to work your arms while at work stretch them out and move them in a circular motion. This can easily be done while on the phone. If you can, buy 2,3, or 5-pound free weights and try bicep curls or over the head shoulder press.
There are other various exercises you can try at work depending on how much of a workout you want to get. Try doing 3 reps of 10 desk push-ups and chair dips. If you have the luxury of having your own office, get on the ground and do sit-ups and crunches, or 50 jumping jacks.
Warehouse
If you work in a warehouse you can apply these same exercises. It's about findingunconventional ways to do conventional things. In a warehouse setting, it is likely that you are already active from walking a lot. If you find yourself in a position where you are confined to the same space, try side leg lifts and squats.
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If you are lifting boxes lift properly by bending the knees so you can still gain the same benefits as squatting. Bring a yoga mat to work so on your breaks you can find a quiet place to stretch, do push-ups, and sit-ups. You can put an entire 10-15-minute HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout together.
If you are lost in what exercises to do, Pinterest is a great resource for easy workout plans.
How will you start incorporating physical activity at work?
Elissa Mirsky, known to most as Elle, is a published author and former editor-in-chief of Bold Magazine. She believes food shouldn’t be boring and every meal should be fashionably edible. Follow her on Instagram @mylifebeingelle where she is documenting her journey to eat well, live life, and love self.
