How to overcome that office stress by working out at your desk

Although in-office gyms and workout zones are fashionable these days, many of us don’t have access to those facilities at work. Finding the time to workout regularly can be challenging but when exercise is proven to build resilience and reduce your stress, it’s a must do rather than a should do.

There are ways of fitting in exercise during your lunch break to avoid that mid-afternoon slump and have you prepared for the important work ahead. We’ve got you covered with these 3 easy to fit in workouts that the entire office will join in with in no time.

Push-ups

Ok, most work environments aren’t conducive to hitting the floor for fifty push-ups military style. If you can get away with doing that or can find a private room you can lock the door for ten minutes to practise your push-ups then go for it! Push-ups are fantastic for working out your pecs, deltoid and triceps muscles.

If, like most of us, you work in a more gentile and sedate environment, there is a desk-based variation you can practise instead. Place your hands flat on your desk, walk your feet away until you’re at a 45-degree angle and perform your modified push-up.

Chair Dips

Word of warning – apply the brakes or use a solid chair for this exercise to avoid injury!

This is a fantastic strengthening exercise that only requires a stable chair to use (if you have a wheeled chair push it right back against the wall to avoid it moving as you exercise).

Sit right at the edge of your chair with your hands by your thighs. Now edge yourself forward until your butt is off the chair entirely and lower yourself down by bending your arms. Bring yourself up again by straightening your arms and there you have it – a chair dip.

Practice around 10 chair dips twice a day to strengthen your arms and legs and get some endorphins into your system to lower your stress levels throughout the day.

Leg Lifts

Ok, so you might not escape a few raised eyebrows while exercising in the office, so this one is more covert than the others.

Simply extend and raise your leg under your desk and hold it for twenty seconds before repeating with your other leg. Be careful not to lock your knees and that your chair doesn’t move backwards while doing this (unless you want an embarrassing story to tell!).

To make it a little more challenging you can make circle patterns with the foot of your extended leg, try alternating clockwise with anticlockwise to make your mind work a little harder.

There you have it, 3 easy to do exercises that can be done near your desk. There’s something obvious that everyone can do in an office to improve their fitness and that’s to always use the stairs!

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