All right, listen up! No matter your job, you can bring the gym to work or home by deskercising—engaging in exercises fit for a cubicle or living room.
Get your blood flowing and embrace the personal and professional benefits of staying active while working by doing anything from standing up every hour to dancing a modified Zumba routine in your office. Whether you’re a regular gym rat or a newbie to it all, the possibilities for deskercising are endless. Five, six, seven, eight!
1. Get Going
Even with deskercising options, there’s no replacement for being active away from your desk. Using the stairs instead of the elevator or taking regular walks are easy ways to get more daily cardio during office time. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water: a walk to the water cooler is just one more way to get those steps in.
2. Get Creative
Use your surroundings to help your workout. Have a swivel chair? While sitting, grasp the edge of your desk and use your core (not arms) to twist your legs from side to side while keeping your upper body still. Stationary chairs can aid in stepups or triceps dips, and small objects like water bottles can be used as light weights.
3. Take A Stand
Try out some standing or stretching exercises, such as jumping jacks, squats, toe touches, or lunges. One easy option is the calf raise, in which you raise both heels off the floor and lower them again. Get as involved as you like, but save strenuous exercise for outside the office—otherwise you may bring new meaning to the term “sweat suit.”
4. Weighty Matters
Seated bodyweight exercises are simple to do and can take deskercising to the next level. Try equipment-free movements such as lifting and dropping your shoulders, raising your feet until legs are parallel with the ground then lowering, or extending your arms in front of or behind the body and pulsing up and down a few inches.
5. Built In
To multitask exercise and work, consider using equipment designed for exercising at your desk. Options may include under-the desk devices (ellipticals and cycles), seat adjustments (ball chairs or balance discs), desk adjustments (standing desks or desk treadmills), and floor equipment (balance boards and cushioned mats).
6. App Aides
You can find apps—such as Wakeout! or Activ5 Training App—that remind you when to stretch, stand, or add something active to your day. Some apps even guide you through specific exercises. And since computer screens take a toll on the eyes, try putting on headphones and meditating with apps such as Headspace or Sanvello.
7. Subtle Stretch
Want to keep your deskercising conservative? Try stretching while sitting at your desk to wake up various body parts, including arms, torso, hips, and hamstrings. Simple overhead reaches or yoga poses—such as the seated cat-cow pose— get you out of your regular sitting position and can even help your posture.
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Article written by Clarissa McIntire
