Staying Fit and Healthy at the Office by personal trainer, Sonya Roosendaal
Working in an office and sitting at a desk all day can lead to atrophy, lethargy, gaining weight, stress, muscle tension and knots. There are certain exercises and stretches that can be done in an office to promote good health, burn calories, and keep the blood moving. Some creativity and dedication can make it possible to add exercise during your day at the office.
EXERCISE:
1. Move as much as you can! The human body burns more calories by standing or walking than by sitting.
- In the morning, park as far away from the office as you can to purposely allow you to walk more
- If you live close to work, commute via walking or biking
- Instead of emailing or calling a co-worker, walk to his or her desk
-Walk at lunch and/or in the afternoon (and recruit some co-workers to join you!)
- When possible, walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator
2. Incorporate strength exercises into your day
- Keep resistance bands and/or hand weights in your desk. For every hour at the office, take 2 minutes to incorporate at least one strength training exercise. Resistance bands are elastic cords that offer resistance when you pull on them. Resistance bands can be used the same way as free weights. Two examples of exercises to do between meetings or during breaks are bicep curls and shoulder raises
- Shoulder Retraction. The goal of shoulder retraction exercise is to build strength in muscles in the back. At your desk, put both feet firmly on the ground. Sit away from the back of your seat. Maintain good posture and relax your arms on the armrest. Tighten your shoulder blades together, and try to make your shoulder blades sturdy. Maintain the position for at least 3 seconds. Bring your shoulders back to the original position. Repeat the exercise at least 10 times.
- Chair Squats. The goal of chair squats is to strengthen your legs and hips. While keeping good posture, stand and face your chair. Place your hands on the back of the chair to brace yourself. Your feet should be should-width apart. Gradually lower yourself by bending at the hips, knees and ankles. Squat to an angle of 90 degrees. While keeping your weight distributed on your heels, change the direction to a standing pose. Repeat at least 10 times.
* If you prefer privacy, try to find an unoccupied space such as a conference room, hallway or stairwell. With additional space and freedom you can accomplish more! Here are a few ideas:
-lunges
-push-ups
-plank hold
-step ups and calve raises (using a stairway)
-Biceps curls
-Triceps kick-backs or dips (using a chair or sturdy ledge)
-squats (basic and plie)
-shoulder press
STRETCH:
Reach for the Sky! Stretching exercises are important for the desk-bound to ease stress, improve posture and keep your muscles from clenching up. Here are a few suggestions:
-Sitting tall in your chair, stretch both arms over your head and reach up. After 10 seconds, extend the right hand higher, then the left.
-Let your head loll over so that your right ear nearly touches your right shoulder. Using your hand, press your head a little lower (gently). Hold for 10 seconds. Relax, and then repeat on the other side.
-Sit facing forward, then turn your head to the left and your torso to the right, and hold a few seconds. Repeat several times, alternating sides.
-Sitting up straight, try to touch your shoulder blades together. Hold, and then relax. This will help your posture, especially with sitting (aka “hunching over”) at a computer all day.
-You get to put your feet up for this one! To ease the hamstrings and lower back, push your chair away from your desk and put your right heel up on the desk or chair. Sit up straight, and bend forward just until you feel a gentle stretch in the back of your leg. Flex your foot for a few seconds, and then point it. Bend forward a little farther, flex your foot again, and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
*See the diagram and photos below for more ideas and further explanation
HEALTHY CHOICES:
-Refill Your Water Bottle – Good health suggests drinking your body weight divided by two in ounces every day (a 150 pound person needs 75 ounces of fluid a day). Drinking water helps with flexibility of your tissue, recovery from exercise, filling your stomach a bit, processing fats, and drinking more water/fluid requires you to visit the bathroom more often, which will burn a fistful more calories.
-Pack a healthy lunch and snacks to avoid fast food and the vending machine.
-Give your eyes a break. Look away from your computer screen, at least every 30 minutes or so, and focus on distant objects. Don’t look at any one object too long, a few seconds will do.
-Swap your chair for a resistance ball. Studies show that sitting on a resistance ball at your desk will help force proper spine alignment, improve balance, work your abs, burn calories and improve circulation.
Make it a great week everybody!
