Office Worker Workouts

Office jobs can be a drag. Even if you love working at the office or it's your dream job, working indoors for long hours under florescent lights, sitting in front of a computer screen on a beautiful day, and not having the ability to move your body much can be challenging. Since humans are not designed to sit all day, all that sitting can quickly take a toll on your health. Sitting too much and too long can lead to weight gain, increases fatigue, and decreases muscle mass as a result of chronic inactivity.

Should you just resign yourself to a life of tiredness and fitlessness? Of course not! Office workers aren't powerless in the fight against a sedentary lifestyle, and have little too lose but their extra pounds.

You can create an active area right within your office space by adding small accessories to use during your breaks, or whenever you have a few spare minutes. Even taking 5 minutes at a time adds up at the end of a week. The good news? Sometimes you can even sneak exercises in while you are making a phone call! Here are a few things you can add to your space at work:

• Exercise ball: You can trade your chair for one of these, allowing you to move more and automatically straightening your spine in the process!

• Stretch bands: These are small and inconspicuous. They come in varying degrees of tension. You can use these nifty tools to do exercises with resistance. You can work the back, arms and shoulders with resistance bands. Again, you'll get your body pumped, burn a few calories, and stop the cycle of accumulating fat as a result of hours of sitting.

• Skip rope: This sounds like an odd item, but it is extremely effective at improving your cardio fitness; just ask any boxer. Skipping rope for 5 or 10 minutes in the lunch room, storage room, parking lot or other semi-private area in your office burns a lot, and gets your heart rate pumping. It also doesn't take up any space to keep at your desk.

Of course, there is much more you can do outside of the office itself. Staying active for office workers can be especially tough if you work long hours and have family responsibilities waiting for you at home. There are alternative activities which aren't traditionally thought of when it comes to staying physically active.

Plan your transportation to work effectively

Why not bike, jog or walk to work? Leave yourself a little extra time and get your whole workout and more on the way to and from work. If you take public transportation, try getting off at a stop farther from home and walking or jogging part of the way. Be creative with your transportation; if its a long commute in your car, park as far as possible from your building and walk the rest of the way in. When it comes to getting to your office, take the stairs up rather than the elevator. 24th floor? Start with the stairs for several flights, before switching to the elevator. Each week, do one more flight of stairs to keep it challenging!
 
Getting active at work is a possibility for everyone, and there are no excuses. Just find which way is right for you and which activities you prefer. You'll combat boredom, and keep your body functioning at max capacity, and keep unwanted weight off far more easily. While you're at it, don't just focus on cardio but get some activities in to fight carpal tunnel syndrome and other ailments office workers often develop, too.