3 Types of Exercise You Can Do at Work
During a year when most people were forced to vacate the office and work from home, many people developed at-home workout routines to help break up the day and maintain good health while gyms were closed. As society starts to reopen and people head back to the office, the workout habits created during lockdown will likely endure.
For those who want to maintain a workday workout routine, or for those who are just too busy to make it to the gym, we’ve compiled a list of office workouts you can do to stay in shape on the job.
1. Office Desk Exercises
Have you ever used your office desk to exercise at work? Believe it or not, there are actually multiple ways to work out using your desk—desk push-ups, for example. Simply take a few steps back from your desk, place your hands on the edge of your desk, and lower yourself down toward your desk like you’re doing a standard push-up.
Desk planks are another great office exercise that works out the core, arms, and shoulders. Place your elbows and forearms on the top of your desk and straighten your legs so that your body is in a straight line. Stay leaning against your desk like this for as long as you can.
2. Office Chair Exercises
As long as your chair doesn’t have wheels on the bottom, doing tricep dips with your chair is a good way to work the upper arms. Put your palms flat on the seat of the chair and face away from it with your legs stretched out in front of you. Bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the floor until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Straighten your arms, then repeat.
Another exercise that involves your office chair and desk? Oblique twists. When sitting in your office chair (make sure it’s the kind that swivels), hold on to the edge of your desk, lift your feet slightly off the floor, and use your core muscles to swivel back and forth.
You can also use your office chair for help with squats: Stand directly in front of your chair with your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees until your backside just barely brushes the seat of your chair before standing straight again. Repeat this exercise as many times as you can. Add some dumbbells for a little extra resistance.
3. Other Office Exercises
There are tons of exercises you can do at work that don’t require the help of any furniture. Things like arm circles and squats are easy to do in areas with limited space. To make your office workouts even more effective, consider getting a compact set of dumbbells that can fit easily into any office space.
In fact, there is plenty of hassle-free workout equipment that can fit into an office, or even a small, dedicated office gym. Things like free weights, barbells, weight benches, power racks, and air resistance bikes and rowers are all versatile, no-frills pieces of equipment that can turn any office into an adequate fitness center. Offering your employees the time and resources to easily get in midday workouts shows your commitment to their health and well-being. If you work from home, an office workout helps make-up for the loss in movement you experience by not having a normal commute. Either way, equipping your office with office fitness equipment like dumbbells and other compact workout equipment will likely increase productivity and overall satisfaction at work.