Congratulations! You live in a technologically advanced society that makes working almost anywhere easy! So, work has expanded well beyond the traditional 9-5 workday and that has likely resulted in you finding less time to do some other important things like staying physically fit and in good shape. How can this dilemma be overcome? The answer is easy! Forget the gym and just include conditioning and stamina routines on your list of things of which you are great at multi-tasking. What do we mean? We mean exercise while you work. Hey, the 7 Dwarves were great at whistling while they work! You ought to be able to do some of the things we suggest below.
Let’s start at the bottom with your feet and legs while at a desk. First, try some Toe Raises, just lift your toes while keeping your feet firmly on the ground. This stretches the calves. How about next trying to rapidly tap your feet in place while sitting. If your coworker notices, suggest she or he join in!
How about when walking around the workplace? Here are three easy things to incorporate into your daily routine. First, instead of trying to find the closest parking spot to the door, park farther away from the building. Over time, these few extra steps add up. Also, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator as a matter of course. And, while you are at it, try taking two steps at once—you’ll stretch far more! And, while just walking around the office, do the lunge…every few steps take the widest step you can and lunge forward. Although, we suggest not doing this around the HR department! 😉
Moving up to the torso, try a gluteal squeeze; no one will ever know! Just tense up the muscles of your rear end and hold it for a count of 10. Next, try the back twist: while sitting in your chair during that awfully long conference call or webinar, place your right arm behind your right hip, then twist as far to the right as you can and hold it, then do the other side. Once you have the hang of that, do some neck rotations; drop your chin and roll your neck, then raise your chin up and bend your neck from side to side. Easy!
Okay, now for some handiwork. Try an arm pump, pump both of your arms up over your head for 30 seconds. Do this a few times and you might be asked to work in the sales department! Want something on a smaller scale? How about some shoulder raises? Raise your shoulder to your ear, hold and relax. Then repeat, alternating shoulders. If you are feeling like you can go the distance, try some shadow boxing, jab alternating arms in the air, but be wary of the boss walking by! One more suggestion, and this is the easiest to do anytime, do a chair squat. Lift your rear end off of your seat and hold it for a few seconds, repeat until someone notices!
These are just a few of the plethora of workplace fitness exercises available to us every day. Remember, it’s important to make every day count. Small, daily improvements are the key to staggering long-term results!
First published in our March 2017 IT Radix Resource newsletter
