[Video] 10-Minute Full Body Office Workout

This short workout will work your entire body in just 10 minutes, providing both strengthening and stretching for your entire body, even during a busy workday. It includes 3 circuits of exercises, and each exercise is done for 30 seconds.

These 13 simple exercises will work your core, glutes, arms, back, shoulders, core, and more, but it won't make you sweat in your work clothes, and you can do the exercises in just about any clothing. Even doing this 3 times a week can make a great difference in your health and fitness.

All you'll need is a desk, a chair, and a wall, so you can do them in any office, or at home as well!

[Video] Quick Upper-Body Desk Workout

Stuck at your desk all day, and need a quick workout you can do at the office in just a few minutes? This upper body workout works your arms, shoulders, back, and core, without even getting out of your chair. (These are also good exercises for people with mobility problems, or those in a wheelchair.)

These 5 simple exercises require no equipment at all, and can be done by anyone of any fitness level. Scale the exercises to your needs - if you are already quite fit, try the advanced sequence (hold each exercise for 10-20 seconds instead of 5). The key is to do each exercise with full intensity, no matter how many reps or seconds you do.

The video is 10 minutes long, but he talks quite a bit, so once you learn the exercises, you can probably do them in half the time.

Check it out!

How A Standing Desk Could Benefit Your Health

In the modern world, we often find ourselves spending hours sitting at work. As we have discussed earlier this month, those many hours of sitting are not good for your health. At the same time, you probably can’t quit your job to exercise all day. Here’s where a standing desk can really help you.

What Is A Standing Desk?

Stand Steady brand standing desk.

A standing desk is a desk that is built for use while standing. That means, if you have a standing desk at work, you would be standing throughout the day as you use your computer. Of course, you can have a chair nearby to take occasionally sitting breaks, but when you sit the desk is too high to use, so you won’t be using the chair for anything more than breaks. Now you may groan at the thought of standing all day, but just by using a standing desk you can help keep yourself healthy.

Why Is This Healthy?

Research has shown that it is likely that just one exercise session each day may not be enough to counteract the negative effects of sitting too much (which include obesity, sleep apnea, heart disease, pulmonary embolisms, and so on). Instead, standing and walking throughout the day is a much better approach to exercise. This is one of the wonderful ways a standing desk can help you, since you will be forced to be on your feet.

Besides that, users of standing desks have found that with time, their back muscles as well as other muscles become strengthened, since they are not pressuring those muscles too much with prolonged sitting and lack of activity. Some users also state that using a standing desk has helped them be more social at work, since by standing they have to look at people beyond their cubicle. More interaction at work can reduce stress and help you feel more calm, which is also beneficial to your health.

Do note though that if you are used to sitting at your desk while additionally also being a couch potato at home, you will need some time to get used to a standing desk. As long as you ease into using the desk (such as by spending two hours standing, half an hour sitting, and then standing again, and repeating this process throughout the workday), you will be on your way to a healthier and stronger body. Don’t give up if you find it tough initially; you will not be the first sedentary person to feel that way. With some willpower and effort, you will learn to adjust to your new workstation and you may even find - as many others have - that you love it!

More Standing Desks from Amazon.com:

     

The Benefits of Yoga for Businesses & Professionals

Yoga has long been regarded as one of the best forms of relaxation, and many more people are realizing the benefits of regular yoga sessions to reduce stress levels in their lives.

Some businesses have even included yoga as a benefit to their employees, as they have seen increased productivity and more contentment within the workforce as a result. Many employers have become aware of the fact that in addition to reducing stress, regular practice of yoga can also improve the healthy of their employees, and reduce sick time.

Yoga stretch. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Overall, it can be a good business decision to encourage yoga in the workplace, as it pays dividends in the long term.

Yoga has increased in popularity as well among business professionals who lead a fast-paced and stressful life, as many have found that regular sessions of yoga help to reduce their stress considerably, and make them more productive.

Yoga is also a very convenient form of exercise and relaxation as it can be performed almost anywhere without the need for special equipment.

A suitable chair in a carpeted office offers a business person may need to improve their health and mind at any time during the day when the opportunity arises.There are few forms of exercise and relaxation that offer such convenient benefits.

Yoga can also help to relieve the aches and pains that can accompany hours of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Neck and back pain are common with office workers, as well factory workers who perform repetitive work throughout the day, and research has found that short breaks during the day where basic yoga exercises are performed, can relieve pain, reduce fatigue and increase safety in the workplace due to the improvements in these areas.

Yoga is beneficial to people of all ages and all levels of fitness. Even people who have never exercised before are able to start yoga and see results very quickly. It's a great way to help you stay healthy and fit, no matter where you work.

4 Quick Ideas For Exercising At Work

In the modern world, our careers take up most of our time, and some people work from early in the morning 'til late at night. This often means we are sedentary all day, just sitting at our desks and hardly moving around at all. Sometimes, there isn’t even time to work out outside of work. Don’t worry though, as there are several things you can do to sneak in some exercise while you are at work. Here are four of them.

1. Take the Stairs

(Photo credit: Chocolate Geek)

It’s rare that people don’t have to move between floors during the course of the workday. You will most probably use an elevator or escalator during the course of the day, but why not use the stairs instead? Climbing stairs is one of the best workouts you can give yourself. You can gauge your progress by seeing how many flights you can climb without getting overly tired!

2. Park Your Car Further Away

Okay, it definitely is tempting to park your car as close as possible to your office’s entrance. But do your body a favor and park it further away so that you need to take a short walk to and from the office.

If you don’t drive, maybe you can take the bus or train earlier, and get off one stop away from your usual stop. The extra walk certainly could not hurt and it would force you to exercise (of course, be sure to do this only if you are going to be walking in a safe public area).

5. Take Breaks at Work

No, not coffee breaks, but exercise breaks. Every hour, spend 5 or 10 minutes walking around and stretching your body. If you work eight hours a day, that’s already 40 minutes at least of walking and stretching. It does add up, doesn’t it?

6. Use a Standing or Treadmill Desk
A standing desk is a desk that can only be used when you stand, while a treadmill desk has a treadmill attached to the desk that you walk on as you do your work. These nifty inventions force you to stand or walk as you carry on with your work day, thus forcing you to exercise throughout the day. This of course is the best way to exercise at work, without compromising productivity or wasting time.

Try these helpful tips and watch as you get fitter and more energized as days go by. As you can see, you won’t even need to break a sweat trying to exercise at work. Don’t give up if making these changes seems hard at first; it’ll all become routine and habit over time - and your body and your health will benefit.

How To Get More Exercise When You Work In An Office

When asked why they don’t have time to exercise, many people say that their job keeps them seated most of the day, and when they get home, they have so many other things to do that exercise is often the last thing on their mind. If this is your excuse as well, let’s first get it straight that it is a weak one.

Yes, there are so many things that require your time, but if you don’t take an effort to lead a more active lifestyle, you are going to regret it down the line when your habits take a toll on your health. Fortunately, there are several ways you can get more exercise even while you're at work, including:

1. Taking periodic breaks throughout the day to stretch, or even take a very short walk. These small amounts of exercise will add up over the day.

2. Investing in a standing desk so that you will be on your feet instead of sitting down the whole working day. A standing desk is a desk that at the right height only when you stand up.

Amazon.com: LifeSpan TR1200-DT5 Treadmill Desk (2013 Model). (Photo credit: Wickerfurniture)

3. Getting a treadmill desk for a more vigorous workout at your desk. A treadmill desk is similar to a standing desk, but additionally you will be standing on top of a treadmill, of which you can adjust the speed. (For more on how much this simple addition can really change your health and your life, see Dr. James Levine's excellent book, Move a Little, Lose a Lot.)

4. If you often park near the office entrance, try to park a little bit further so that you will have to walk a little before you reach your office. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs instead when you need to get from one floor to another. If you are taking a call, stand up and walk around while you attend to the call.

Additionally, try your best to schedule exercise at least three times a week outside office hours. If you can’t afford a gym, invest in some exercise DVDs or just go for a jog around your neighborhood. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-paced activity every time you exercise outside working hours. Check our website, and keep an eye on this blog, for some other fun ways to exercise as well.

With these simple steps, you can easily sneak some extra exercise into your day, throughout the day. The benefits of exercise are well worth the effort; you’ll have a slimmer, fitter, and healthier body if you manage to keep up a more active lifestyle. Couple your newfound exercise habits with a healthy, nutritious diet, and you will feel better than you ever have felt in years. Just give it a try, you certainly have nothing to lose (other than some excess weight), but lots of benefits to gain!

Fitness Programs for Special Groups

A new trend in fitness is the targeting of fitness programs for different groups of people. Rather than a “one size fits all” approach that simply looks to provide general fitness benefits without taking into account the particular needs of the participants (such as an indoor cycling class), these new fitness classes are being offered with particular goals and needs in mind. Here are a few examples of specialty fitness classes you may want to look for in your area, depending on your needs.

A senior citizen at legs exercise (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Senior Adult Programs: 
As the U.S. population continues to age and more of us are living longer, there are more older people who would like to take part in structured fitness activities in order to keep themselves healthier. But the average senior citizen probably isn’t going to be interested in participating in a high impact aerobics or pole dancing class, so more classes are being designed to meet their fitness goals, as well as their tastes. Even popular mainstream classes such as Zumba (a dance-based class featuring salsa and merengue music) are adapting themselves to provide a version for senior citizens. (The senior version is known as “Zumba Gold.”)

Pregnant Women:
For years doctors have recommended that pregnant women continue to get some type of physical exercise throughout almost the entire term of pregnancy. But pregnancy requires that certain motions and exercises be avoided, and that the intensity of the workout not be too great. Traditional fitness classes simply aren’t structured in a way to be safe or effective for pregnant women. Fortunately, there are classes that take the particular needs of pregnant women into account. These classes are commonly offered at local community centers and YMCAs - and occasionally at some gyms and fitness centers.

Children’s and Teen’s Fitness Programs:
Obesity rates among children and teenagers are at historically high levels. Kids don’t play the way they did in years past (with groups of kids from the neighborhood getting together after school and on the weekends), and due to budget cuts, many children no longer have physical fitness classes available to them at school. An increasing number of fitness professionals have taken note of this trend and have created programs tailored to overweight and obese children.

Fitness instructor Linda Walker leads Department of Defense civilian employees during an aerobathon. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Damien Horvath/Released) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Workplace Fitness Programs:
As health care insurance costs continue to increase, employers are constantly on the lookout for ways to save on their premiums and to help their employees pay less on their own shares of the premiums. These programs can take many different forms. For example, an employer might wish to offer a group fitness class in a conference room within the office, or perhaps organize a few coordinated times during the day when employees get up from their desks and do some light stretching or movement exercises. Even sponsoring a group walk over the lunch hour is a great way for employees to slowly and easily get themselves in better shape. Introducing workplace fitness programs can also help to improve overall employee wellness, which can reduce costly employee absentee days due to illness.

Specialty fitness programs are a great way for people with specific needs to find a class that they can feel comfortable participating in, and which can help improve their health.