Whilst most of us spend our days tirelessly chained to our desks and endlessly glued to our seats, it’s hard to squeeze in any form of exercise at work. Especially whilst the boss is looking! Even if you’re an early morning runner or a gym rat by night, we do spend most of our days slouching over our screens, navigating through a never-ending labyrinth of internet tabs, documents and spreadsheets. So, we’re here to help the cubicle-bound with some short bouts of sneaky aerobics, strength and stretching exercises, to help you all have a happier and healthier work day.
Seat Salsa
Release your inner salsa dancer and energize your day with a short bout of seat dancing. Dance like no one is watching…unless they notice… and then just style it out, or ask them to join you!
Twinkle Toes
Channel your inner Fred Astaire by tapping your toes on the floor under your desk. Or you can pretend to play soccer with the trash can and lift up each leg and tap the can. If anyone asks, you can start talking about how much you miss soccer or make up a story about trash cans.
Stair Master
Unless you have a broken leg, always take the stairs instead of the elevator. It can elevate your heart rate, help tone and burn some extra calories too. You can also try some step exercise if you’re feeling brave.
The Wall Street Sit
Build some extra strength and endurance by standing with your back against the wall, bending your knees and sliding down the wall to a sitting position. Try and hold it for 30 to 60 seconds and you can even cross over each leg and hold for another 15 seconds. You can style this one out by grabbing the Wall Street Journal, or a book. If all else fails you can also pretend you lost a bet and that’s why you have to sit like this!
The Silent Seat Squeeze
This deskercise is one of the easiest to keep under wraps and under the table. You can tone at your desk by squeezing your buttocks and holding it for up to 10 seconds. Then release and repeat. While you’re seated, you can also try squeezing in your abs for 10 seconds and repeating, or practice the perfect desk posture by adjusting your chair and keeping your back straight. No one will guess what you’re even up to!
The Seated Leg Raiser
Another sneaky desk secret your boss won’t notice is the seated leg raise. Simply sit down at your desk, straighten out both legs and hold for five or more seconds, and repeat. You can also alternate your legs or loop your bag over your ankles for some added weight. Just be careful not to kick your colleague out or wipe out all the wires under the desk, because this one is a little harder to explain!
Namaste
Pretend your praying throughout the day by bringing your palms together in front of your chest and pushing them together for 20 seconds Breathe and repeat. And that’s how to squeeze some Namaste and zen into your day!
The Desk Chair Swivel
If like us, you’re lucky enough to sit in a fun swivel chair, then you can use it’s playful twirl to your advantage. Simply sit upright, hold the edge of your desk and use your core to swivel the chair from side to side, to work your oblique abs. The fun never has to end as you can also grasp your desk with your hands, raise your feet and gently roll your chair back and forth. Or you can just swivel your chair around in circles every chance you can!
We’re sure once you tell these sneaky secrets to your colleagues, they’ll probably want to join you, so enjoy!