How to Stay Fit at the Office

In the continuing to quest to stay fit, time can become an issue. If you work a full time job, it can be difficult to fit in a good workout which means you need to optimize the time you have to burn calories and tone those muscles. One sneaky little secret for staying fit is to exercise at the office. Here are some ideas on how to get a little more fit without leaving work.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Bring some hand weights to work.
   
   If you have a private office, shut the door several times a day and do biceps curls and lateral raises using hand weights. Make sure you use enough weight to make your efforts challenging. Even five minutes of upper body exercise can help to tone muscle, build lean body mass, and optimize your metabolism. A pair of six to ten pounds hand weights is easy to store in an office drawer.
2. Use your chair to do abdominal exercises.
   
   You can actually do a very effective abdominal workout without leaving your office chair. Spend five minutes each day doing leg lifts while seated. Bring both knees up to your chest and then extend them. Continue doing reps until you feel the abdominal muscles burning. The abdominal muscles are relatively easy to tone up with simple exercises such as this.
3. Park as far away as possible.
   
   Instead of looking for the closest parking space, park as far as possible from the building. When you head to and from work to your car, walk as rapidly as possible to get your heart rate up. Those extra steps you take by parking far away can add up over time and result in weight loss and better cardiovascular health.
4. Take advantage of your lunch hour.
   
   Even if your lunch hour is more like thirty minutes, you can get your heart pumping by taking a brisk walk around the building or by doing fifteen minutes of stair climbing. When the weather's nice, find a coworker who also wants to get into shape and head out for a fast lunchtime stroll. You'll feel invigorated after your workout and will probably accomplish more later in the day.
5. Wear casual shoes.
   
   Studies have shown that people who wear casual or sports shoes during the day expend more calories than those who wear dress shoes. If your office is casual, wear flat, comfortable shoes or even sports shoes if possible. This will allow you to move more quickly up and down the hall and stairs.
6. Find reasons to leave your office.
   
   Be alert to every opportunity to get your blood pumping. Volunteer to run office related errands or make copies. Make a conscious attempt to move as rapidly as possible from point to point. Pretty soon this will become second nature and people will marvel at you walk so fast. Moving rapidly can also win points with your boss as it looks like you're an enthusiastic employee.