PRINT OUT A COPY AND KEEP AT YOUR DESK
Deskercise! 33 Ways to Exercise at Work
by Emily Milam ·
·
Illustrations by Tanya Burr
Remember
the days when “work” meant manual labor with a side of blood, sweat, and tears?
Neither do we. These days, it seems we’re more likely to log hour after idle
hour with our bums glued to our seats. And while you may be an Excel champ by
day and gym rat by night, recent research suggests that the recommended 30
minutes of cardio five
times per week may not undo the health
risks of a sedentary lifestyle[1].
(Also Check Out: 50
Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere)
So
what’s a worker chained to his or her desk to do? Luckily, short bouts of
aerobics, strength exercises, and stretching in between conference calls and Gchats
can help improve fitness levels and heart health, too[2].
While these deskercises,
or desk exercises for the cubicle-bound, won’t promise Olympic mile times or
the ultimate six-pack abs, they might just improve strength and burn a few
extra calories to boot. So whether it’s Powerpoint, Photoshop, or faxing on
those to-dos, we’ve got 33 sneaky exercises for a healthier (and happier!)
workday.
Cardio
1. The Twinkle Toe: Tap into your inner Fred Astaire by speedily tapping those toes on the
floor under your desk. Or, graduate to a harder (and less conspicuous) move:
Stand in front of a small trashcan and lift up those legs to tap
the toes on its edge,
alternating feet, in soccer-drill fashion.
2. The Stair Master: Want to avoid elevator small talk in favor of elevating the
heart rate? Take the stairs!
Accelerate on the straight-aways and take two at a time every other flight for
a real leg burn.
3. The Slog, Then Jog: Instead of slogging away for hours nonstop, take a mini
break for a stationary jog. Pop up from your chair, (admire the butt imprint
left behind!), and jog
in place. Willing to huff and puff a little more? Pick up those
knees! Continue for one minute, return to spreadsheets, and repeat.
4. The Celebratory Split
5. The Cubicle Wanderer: Walking during work is totally underrated[3].
Take a stroll down the hall to catch up with coworkers or welcome a new
employee. Or, instead of dialing extensions and sending lazy emails to the
manager two doors down, put in some face time. Just beware of tempting candy
jars when making the rounds.
6. The Mover and Shaker: There’s nothing wrong with a brief spaz sesh. Release
stress and spark some energy with a quick bout of seated dancing when no one is looking! Salsa anyone?
Legs and Butt
7. The Wall (Street) Sit: Wall sits are great for building strength and
endurance. Standing with your back against the wall, bend the knees and slide
your back down the wall until the thighs are parallel to the floor. Sit
and hold for 30-60
seconds (or up to 12 hours, the
world record!), while browsing the Wall
Street Journal (or
Buzzfeed). For some extra burn, try crossing the right ankle over the left
knee, hold for 15 seconds, then switch!
8. The Patient Printer: The boss lady just requested that a
200-page presentation be printed “perfectly.” Why lackadaisically stand by the
printing pages when you could be sculpting your calves with calf raises?
Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, press up onto the tippy toes, pause at
the top, then lower back down. Repeat for three sets of 12-15 reps, or until
the printing, faxing, or scanning is done. Ready to level up? Try raising only
one leg at a time.
9. The Silent Seat Squeeze: Believe it or not, some deskercises can be kept under
wraps, and this isometric glutes exercise is one of them. To start toning,
simply squeeze
the buttocks, hold for 5-10 seconds, and release. Repeat until the
agenda wraps up or the glutes tire. The results will be uplifting in more ways
than one.
10. The Seated Leg Raiser: When pay raises are nowhere to be seen, consider the leg
raise. (Bonus: they’re hardly noticeable underneath the desk!) While
seated, straighten one or both legs and hold in place for five or more seconds.
Then lower the leg(s) back to the ground without letting the feet touch the
floor. Repeat (alternating legs if raising them separately) for 15 reps.
Underwhelmed? Loop a purse or briefcase strap over the ankle for added weight.
Or, for more of an ab workout, add
a crunch.
11. The Last Man Standing: Sure, standing
around isn’t exactly
traditional exercise, but research shows it’s got more than a leg up on
sitting. After all, long periods of sitting are linked to increased risk for
diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease, whereas standing significantly
increases your daily caloric expenditure[4][5][6].
Stand whenever you can, and consider roping in other coworkers to have standing
meetings too!
12. The Desk Squat: Mastered the art of standing around? Add a squat! Start
standing with feet together (and the desk chair pushed out of the way). Bend
the knees slightly so the thighs are almost parallel to the ground, as if
sitting in a chair. As you bend, raise the arms straight up or towards the
computer screen. Keep the knees together and aligned. Hold for 15 seconds and
release. Repeat for 4-6 reps.
13. The Lunch Break Hammy: Strengthen the hamstrings with this standing
leg curl. Stand behind your chair and hold onto it for support.
Gently kick one foot back, aiming the heel for the top of your thigh. Lower the
foot back down and repeat exercise with the other leg. Do 10 reps, take a bite
of your lunchtime sandwich, and then do 10 more.
14. The Grim Reamer: Scope out the office for a ream of paper, or a sealed package of
printing paper. While seated, place the stack in between the knees and press
legs inward, engaging
the inner thighs. Continue squeezing the paper ream in place for
30-60 seconds while sorting through the morning’s flood of emails. (Now that’s
multitasking!)
Shoulders and Arms
15. The Cubicle Dip: Triceps dips can be done almost anywhere,
including a cubicle. Using a sturdy desk or a non-rolling chair, sit at the
very edge and place hands on either side of the body while gripping the chair’s
edge. With the feet planted on the floor a step or two away from the desk or
chair, straighten up the arms to lift up the body. Next, bend the arms to reach
a 90-degree angle so that your body dips down, hold, and re-straighten while
keeping the body raised above the chair. Complete 8-10 reps.
16. The Namaste: Whether you’re praying for a project extension or for more
defined arms, this move has you covered. Seated upright with feet flat on the
floor, bring the palms together in front of the chest and push
both hands together powerfully
until you feel the arm muscles contract. Hold the prayer hands pushed together
for 20 seconds. Release and repeat the sequence until you feel a little more
zen.
17. The Secret Handshake: Let’s make a deal. Sitting up and with
feet flat on the floor, clasp hands together as if giving yourself a handshake
(with one hand’s thumb pointing to the floor and the other pointing to the
ceiling). Then pull! Resist
the motion of both
arms (you should definitely feel this in those biceps). Hold for 10 seconds or
more, release, and repeat.
18. The Fist Pump: Received approval from the head honcho for extra vacation days?
Time to rock out to that Bruce Springsteen playlist while simultaneously toning
the arms. Fist
punch into the air
like a champ (alternating arms, of course), and continue for 60 seconds or more
— or until you realize the boss is right behind you.
19. The Knuckle Sandwich: So the big cheese said no to the promotion and returned
your project covered in red ink. To relieve frustration and get a fab arm fix,
try shadow
boxing to the perfect boxing playlist.
Stand (if you can) and throw out a few jabs, hooks, and uppercuts in rapid succession (just watch out
for computers and coworkers!). Continue for a minute or longer to blow off
steam and tone the arms, chest, and core.
20. The Flapper: Whether you’ve got a thing for the 1920s or enjoy mimicking
penguins, this move is for you. Standing with arms by your sides and palms
facing behind, pulse
the arms backward for
5 seconds. Release and repeat for 12-15 reps. For best results, make sure to
keep the arms long and straight!
21. The Casual Lean: Waiting in the hall for a meeting to start? Perfect time to
nonchalantly work out the upper arms! Casually
lean against the
nearest wall, supporting your body with the forearm only. Now lean into the
wall until the upper arm almost touches it, and then push back out. Repeat for
15 reps or until the meeting gets underway.
22. The Lumberjack: While this lumberjack may be wearing slacks instead of plaid, he
can still get a good midday workout. Stand and clasp the hands together,
resting them on the right shoulder as if holding an axe. Gently swing the imaginary “axe” by straightening the elbows and moving
the hands toward the left thigh. Next, bring the clasped hands to the left
shoulder followed by a swing to right thigh. Repeat 15 times on each side, or
until all office plants have been hacked down.
23. The Office Genie: Want to add a little magic to the workday? Raise the legs into a
criss-cross applesauce position while seated in a chair. With your hands on the
armrests, push upwards to raise
the body off the seat and
remain floating for 10-20 seconds. After granting a few wishes, release back
down to the chair, rest for a minute, and repeat. Craving more magic? Try this
balancing act while in a chair that spins.
24. The Stapler Curl: Trusty staplers are always guarded closely, especially the red ones. Seated or
standing, take the stapler in one hand with the palm facing upwards. Starting
at the thighs, bend the elbow and curl the arm up towards the chest, just like
a regular dumbbell bicep curl. Pause
momentarily and then lower the stapler back down. Continue for 12-15 reps, then
switch. Don’t have a weighty stapler? Try using a filled water bottle or a heavy
change purse (the vending machine can wait!).
Chest, Back, and Neck
25. The Pencil Pinch: Lose the pencil behind the ear. The really suave workers hold it
in between their shoulder blades! Show off your traps by rolling back the
shoulders until the shoulder
blades are pinched together. Pretend you’re holding a pencil between
the scapulas (or try it for real!). Hold for 5-10 seconds, release, and repeat
for 12-15 reps.
26. The Shoulder Shrug: Not recommended for board meetings (unless you’re really
on the fence). Simply raise both shoulders up toward the ears, hold for 5
seconds, then relax. Repeat for 15 reps. Feeling unstoppable? Try advanced shoulder
shrugs while standing
and holding a paper ream in each hand.
27. The Pinstripe Push-Up: This slightly modified wall
push-up is more
suitable for suits. Standing one to two feet from a sturdy wall (not a
cubicle divider!), lean forward until palms are flush against the wall, with
arms straight and parallel to the ground. Next, bend the elbows to bring the
body towards the wall, hold for two seconds, then push back to the starting
position. Complete 12-15 reps.
28. The Nape Shaper: Turtleneck season is over — it’s time to tone that neck! For the
first isometric neck
strengthening trick, put your head in your hands as if exasperated
by the workday (you may already be in this position), and press your palms into
your forehead as if trying to push the head backward. Resist the motion by
engaging the neck muscles. Next, clasp the hands behind the back of the head
and try to push the head backward, resisting the motion with your hands. Hold
each deskercise for 5 seconds, or until The
Evolution of Ryan Gosling has
finally loaded. Slowly release, rest, and repeat 5 times each.
Core
29. The Desk Chair Swivel: Lucky enough to have a fun swivel chair? Use its twirl to
your advantage with this oblique
ab fix. Sitting upright and with the feet hovering over the floor,
hold the edge of your desk with your fingers and thumb. Next, use the core to
swivel the chair from side to side. Swish back and forth for 15 rounds.
30. The Posture Perfecter: Perfect posture is a must for long days at the desk.
Practice safe desk
ergonomics by
adjusting the chair height to make sure the feet, hips, and arms are at
90-degree angles to the floor. Engage the core to keep the back straight
throughout the day. No slouching allowed!
31. The Fab Ab Squeeze: Another silent deskercise, this one can be covertly
executed when walking down the hall or seated during a call. Simply take a deep
breath and tighten
the abdominal muscles, bringing them in towards the spine as you
exhale. Stay squeezed for 5-10 seconds and release. Repeat for 12-15 reps.
32. The “Crunch Time” Crunch: The deadlines are looming, as are hopes
for a six-pack by summer. (And maybe a
six-pack of Corona
33. The “Weeee” Desk Chair Wheel: Go ahead, play with your wheelie chair
(everyone wants to!). While seated in a chair with wheels, position yourself at
arm’s length from a desk or table and grasp its edge with your hands. Next,
engage the core, raise the feet slightly off the ground, and pull
with your arms until the chair slowly rolls forward and your chest touches the
desk’s edge. Then roll back by pushing away, with the feet still raised. Repeat
20 times, or until you burn holes into the carpet.
Keep
forgetting to do your deskercises at work? We know you’re a Microsoft Outlook
pro! Make a calendar reminder or apply sticky notes around
the workstation. Embarrassed? Seek out an empty conference room on a lunch
break. We bet our biceps that coworkers will not only enjoy your deskercise
routine, but admire it.
- See more at:
http://greatist.com/fitness/deskercise-exercise-work/#sthash.sr0xcPVG.dpuf
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