Things I Need to Do More Often #12

on September 28, 2009

in All Posts, Things I Need to Do More Often

Get my booty out of my office chair and do a desk workout!

I sit for a very… long… time during the work day. It’s quite common that I’m sitting at the computer from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM and beyond. Humans aren’t made to sit still that long!

Every now and then, I break for some tricep dips:

And decline push-ups:

Other easy exercises you can do at your desk or around your office:

Wall squats
Lunges
Sumo Squats
Crunches (if you’re not wearing a skirt!)
Calf Raises
Planks
Take the stairs to the bathroom on another floor

… and YES, when I worked in an office (not a home office), I still did exercises at my desk. I’ll never forget the day my boss walked in on me in plank position while reading a report on the floor! 🙂

Here’s some more fun exercises to try at your desk.

Do you ever exercise in the office?

Check out the rest of the Things I Need to Do More Often Series here!

{ 36 comments }

SuperDots September 28, 2009, 1:27 pm
I wish I could, but I have TWO glass doors to my office! No can do! Haha!
Erica September 28, 2009, 1:30 pm
Such a great, sneaky way to get in some exercise and I think it "un-fries" my brain:)
PS. Recently found your blog and love it. Congrats on all your exciting changes!
Kat (Kat's Daily Plate) September 28, 2009, 1:31 pm
Haha. I love the image of your boss walking in on you in a plank on the floor. But at least you were hard at work! 🙂
Jenna September 28, 2009, 1:33 pm
haha that is too funny caitlin!
jenna
haya September 28, 2009, 1:37 pm
awesome! i have a cubicle with no doors, but i'm going to try some of these anyway! frankly i don't care what people think.
Allison September 28, 2009, 1:38 pm
Hahah.. I could just picture that. What did your boss say?!
starsinthecity September 28, 2009, 1:39 pm
I can just imagine what my manager would think if she saw me in plank pose at my desk! LOL

I do run stairs at work, it's great for blowing off steam!
Evan Thomas September 28, 2009, 1:41 pm
I used to sneak into the bathroom and do a bit of pushups when the filing work was low. i think one of the best and most obvious things is always taking the stairs
Jessica September 28, 2009, 1:43 pm
I do all the time – the bathroom is 2 floors up!! Take that + 1 gallon or so of water…I'm getting a workout all day!
Deb (Smoothie Girl Eats Too) September 28, 2009, 1:46 pm
Dear god, DECLINE pushups sister!? Your pecs and delts will pop like mad if you keep that up on a regular basis!!:-)

Thanks for the tips- need to get off my Blogger's Butt and do some of those exercises stat!! 😀
Lauren September 28, 2009, 1:50 pm
Haha, that just totally made me smile. I can just picture how weird that looked to your boss, but I'm sure it was entirely normal for you. 🙂

Thanks for sharing these great little pick-me-ups!
recipesforcreativity September 28, 2009, 2:02 pm
I used to work behind a counter at a hotel and I'd do standing push ups on it, tricep dips on my stool, lunges, etc – I definitely got caught a few times! Now I work at home, so I do whatever random things I feel like doing and the cats help me.
Carolina John September 28, 2009, 2:20 pm
i do desk workouts all the time. no sweat. actually, some sweat. but it's still fun.
jack+alli September 28, 2009, 2:32 pm
look at you go girl! i love all your metals hanging there:)
i work at a computer as well. i will do triceps dips occasionally, but thanks for the reminder to move more!
Teamarcia September 28, 2009, 2:33 pm
I don't exercise at my desk but I should! Thanks for the inspiration!
Chic Runner September 28, 2009, 2:38 pm
I always do this at home but I can't do it at work. We work in a 'creative' environment where everyone can see everything. Awkward! ha ha 🙂
runninghealthy September 28, 2009, 2:43 pm
during my conference period at school i always try to get a little exercise in… usually that means just taking a walk through the hallways, but it always helps clear my head! – krista
runninghealthy September 28, 2009, 2:43 pm
during my conference period at school i always try to get a little exercise in… usually that means just taking a walk through the hallways, but it always helps clear my head! – krista
Michael September 28, 2009, 3:11 pm
That is funny that your boss walked in on you. I stretch a lot at my desk to avoid stifness, and also, there is this weird little carpeted room in the bathroom at work seperate from the stalls of course I go in there and do sit ups and pushups..
Matt September 28, 2009, 3:14 pm
That actually sounds like a good idea. Maybe I should start doing that to brak up the montony (spelling?) of homework?
Sally September 28, 2009, 3:19 pm
I do wall sits while I microwave my lunch at work. Sometimes someone will walk in on me and give me a funny look but I'll just say that I'm trying to fit in exercise during my work day and they'll commend me on my efforts.
Jolene - EverydayFoodie September 28, 2009, 3:25 pm
LOL – what did your boss say?? Haha!
Erica September 28, 2009, 3:32 pm
I'm going to try a few dips tomorrow! Thanks for the fun idea
Courtney September 28, 2009, 4:07 pm
I don't work in an office anymore, but when I did I consciously made the effort to walk to co-workers offices instead of sending them emails when it was just something quick. I also would take the long way to walk to their offices when I needed signatures or something like that. You can sneak a lot of walking in that way!
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
Lizzy September 28, 2009, 4:16 pm
i wish i could do this, but i don't think professors would really appreciate it! But working out at your desk is such a great idea, since alot of people do sit for a very long time and that can get pretty boring, let alone pretty stiff! Nice work!
traveleatlove September 28, 2009, 4:29 pm
Yes, I used to always do dips in my chair, and yes getting caught was totally embarassing! But my arms were in amazing shape!
Amanda September 28, 2009, 4:52 pm
What a great idea! Imagine if you just kept a list of ten or so strength moves to do each day and fit one in per hour, what a workout!! However, I have a cubicle and there is no hiding a workout!! I do try to get out for a 30 minute walk over lunch and sometimes just walk up a few flights of stairs and down for the hell of it! I get tired of sitting too 🙂
Kristy September 28, 2009, 5:06 pm
I have closed my office door before and did some stretching. Sometimes on a stressful day you need to just have a moment of silence and stretch! I try to get up and walk around as much as possible to keep from sitting in my desk all day!
Priscilla, Lil Miss Hungry September 28, 2009, 5:27 pm
My coworker and I would so sets of 25 pushups throughout the day. By the end of the day, our spurts of exercise would add up to about 150 pushups.
Morgan @ Life After Bagels September 28, 2009, 5:39 pm
Luckily for me I get to spend 1/2 the day at my desk and 1/2 the day on the sales floor. See there are good things about being a retail manager – variety.
Meredith September 29, 2009, 4:17 am
1 day a week I work an 8-hour shift basically by myself. I like to do as many sets of pushups as I can behind my desk and I count them using tally marks on a sticky note. My highest was 308 in a day!
EatingRD September 29, 2009, 1:44 pm
love desk workouts!! I myself spend too much time at a desk. I like to take a moment to stretch once in awhile or use a theraband 🙂
Melissa September 30, 2009, 8:11 am
Hahaha! That’s awesome. Thank God my tiny office has a door. I would die of embarrassment if my boss caught me in a plank.

I’ve been thinking of bringing a large exercise ball to my office to use as a chair for several hours a day. Great way to work my core while getting stuff done. I’m also going to try your exercise suggestions! It will make my work day more fun!
Teresa October 7, 2009, 3:32 pm
Caitlin,
Love this workout! btw just wondered if you saw my desk workout videos yet?
youtube.com/trainertfitness

Maybe you can incorporate them in too 🙂
RunToTheFinish October 27, 2009, 7:28 pm
Ha those are great and totally doable! I try to get up and move around frequently. Now that I work at home, I’ve been trying to make sure I take a lunch break for something active like Yoga or FitTv
faith @ gracefulfitness June 16, 2010, 3:29 am
That’s great!
I used to work at the front desk of a yoga studio and seeing everyone come out of yoga all stretched and blissed out would make me get down on the floor behind the desk and practice down dog and chataranga myself. You would think this would fly at a yoga studio but I still got a lot of looks!

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