Burn Extra Calories At Work

Benefits of Exercising At Work

If you exercise (and eat healthy), you’ll know that exercising actually increases your energy rather than diminishes it. Studies have shown that those who exercise have additional energy and cognitive function – both valuable qualities to have while on the job.

Many of us sit all day at a desk job – myself included! – and may need a little bit of additional exercise throughout the day to help wake us up! Additional benefits include getting the blood flowing, boost your metabolism, and aide with overall fat burn. Sounds like a win-win for you and your employer!

Here are some quick exercises where you can easily burn some extra calories throughout the day while still getting your job done at work.

Bike to Work

If you live close enough, why not ride your bike to work? You’ll exercise your glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calf muscles on your way to work – which is more than you’ll ever exercise while you drive a car to work.

Don’t want to sweat before work? I don’t blame you! I suggest leisurely riding your bike to work, so you don’t work up too much of a sweat, or you can just consider bringing in a change of clothes for when you arrive to work.

Exercise Ball

While sitting at your desk all day, you can try using an exercise ball  to sit in, rather than a chair. By sitting on an exercise ball, you’ll strengthen your abdominal and back muscles and have improved posture. It’s an easy move that will help burn extra calories, without even realizing it!

Walking 

You can find plenty of ways to get some extra walking in throughout the day. Do you have multiple printers in your office? Every time you need to print something, make sure to print your work at a location that is further away from you. What about parking your car at the far end of the parking lot? If it’s decent weather outside, you can also just take a walk around the building during a break or during your lunch. You’d be surprised how much every little bit of extra walking really adds up in your overall calorie burn for the day!

Stairs

Oh. My. Gosh. The stairs are a fantastic way to burn some extra calories throughout the day! I work in a three story office building, so I choose to use the stairs – rather than the elevator – every chance I get! I currently sit on the third floor, so I use the stairs to get to the break room and the restrooms on the first floor! I definitely get to feel those muscles burn all throughout the day.

Going up and down the stairs targets your glutes and hamstring muscle groups, and I suggest taking advantage of any break that you are allowed by going up and down the stairs at your office. You only need to do this for 5 minutes at a time, for may two or three times throughout the day. I have learned that you may need to limit the intensity of this workout, since you don’t want to sweat too much – you are still at work, after all.

Stand Up!

A lot of us sit all day long in front of a computer – so when you are able to, try to find time to stand up in your cubicle or office. You burn about 50% more calories by just standing up, compared to sitting down. Even if you can only stand for a couple of hours each work day, the extra calorie burn will definitely add up in the long run (plus, it helps you stay more alert!).

Conclusion

 You don’t need coffee – you just need to exercise a little! Don’t believe me? Just try these exercise just once and you’ll know what I mean!

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