Want to Feel Better at Work? Try These 8 Exercises

It’s no secret that we feel better and happier, and that we're healthier, when moderate exercise is part of our daily routine. But responsibilities with our jobs, family and friends, can make it hard to find the time to exercise every day.

The good news is, you can get a moderate workout right at your desk or around the office. And employers should be encouraging this behavior. A study for the American College of Sports Medicine found that workers who exercised at least 30 minutes throughout the work day reported an average performance boost of 15 percent.

Of those employees, 60 percent said their time management skills, mental performance and ability to meet deadlines improved on the days they exercised. So what can you do for an exercise routine at work that doesn’t have you looking too silly or stinking up the office?

1) Chair Dips

Chair dips are a simple exercise that won’t be too noticeable if you have a cubicle, and they’ll strengthen your triceps and shoulders. Place your hands on the edge of your chair, or for more mobility on the edge of your desk.

Place your feet on the floor away from your chair or desk. For more mobility, let your heels rest on the floor, and for an easier workout rest on the balls of your feet.

Straighten your arms, slide your butt off of the edge of your chair or away from your desk, and lower your body downward by bending your arms until a slight stretch is felt in your chest or shoulders, or your butt touches the floor.

Raise your body by pushing upward and back to the starting position.

2) Leg Lifts

Doing bodyweight leg lifts in the office is dependent on how much room you have. Assuming your desk is tall enough, or you can sit next to it for a few minutes, then you’ll be just fine.

Sit in your chair and extend one leg straight out in front of you. Hold this pose for five seconds and then raise the leg a little higher up.

Hold this last pose for two seconds and then slowly return the leg to the ground. Do this to each leg about 10 times.

If this is a bit underwhelming then loop something around your leg, such as a purse or backpack. The extra weight will engage your core and leg muscles even more.

3) Calf Raises

Calf raises are great to do while you chat with a client on the phone, or you’re reading a paper document. You can do them on a flat floor or with a small exercise block, plank of wood or study book.

Position your toes and the balls of your feet about shoulder-width apart. You can angle the toes straight, slightly inside or slightly outside, to work different parts of the calf muscle.

Raise your heels by extending your ankles as high as possible until you feel the calves stretch, and then lower your heels back to the floor.

4) Chair L-Sit

The L-sit is easily the most difficult exercise on this list, and it requires you to be in decent physical shape to pull off the exercise.

You can do an L-sit off the ground, or using push-up bars and even a chair. The higher up you can elevate yourself, the easier the exercise becomes.

Use your arms to push yourself out of your chair, either holding the arm rests or pushing out of the seat itself, tighten your core and then extend your legs out straight. Your body should look like a capital L.

Hold this pose for as long as you can, and then lower yourself back to the seat.

5) Burpees

Burpees are a full body exercise that are excellent for building endurance and maintain strength.

Start in a standing squat and then swing down into a full plank, do a push up, move back into a standing squat and then leap into the air from the squat position. You will work up a sweat doing these, so it’s recommended to have a towel nearby to cool off with.

6) Wrist Stretch, Carpal Tunnel Release

This is a simple exercise that you can do at the top of every hour to help with wrist strain. Stand up and place your hands backward on your desk or the floor. Your elbows should be pointing toward your chest.

Slowly lean on your wrists, hold the pressure for 10 to 15 seconds, and then ease out of the stretch. Repeat a few times each day.

7) Wall Squats

Wall squats are a classic exercise that you can do anywhere there is a wall or sturdy surface to brace your back against.

Stand with your back against a wall and scoot your feet out in front of you. Slowly slide down the wall until you have reached a 90 degree angle between your legs and the wall itself.

Hold this pose for 30 seconds and then ease your way up to a 45 degree angle for a short rest. After you start to get the feeling back in your legs, dip back down and go for another round.

8) Desk Pushups

This is one of the more obvious exercises here, but it’s a great one if you have a sturdy desk or counter.

Stand a few feet away from the desk with your feet together. Then place your hands on the desk edge roughly shoulder width apart. Lower your chest to your hands and push back up.

Be sure to set your own goal that fits your specific fitness levels, but achieving three sets of 20 repetitions is a good initial objective.

Sources:

Exercise May Make You a Better Worker. NBC News.com. Accessed June 21, 2015.
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/8160459/ns/health-fitness/t/exercise-may-make-you-better-worker/#.VAd6ILxdVU0

Exercise at Work. Horizon Fitness. Accessed June 21, 2015.
https://www.horizonfitness.com/blog/exercise-at-work

Exercise and Muscle Directory. Exrx.net. Accessed June 23, 2015.
http://exrx.net/Lists/Directory.html

29 Exercises You Can Do at Work. Lifehack.org. Accessed 23, 2015.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/uncategorized/29-exercises-you-can-do-at-or-near-your-desk.html

Reviewed July 13, 2015
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

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