[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!

The Drawbacks of Using A Treadmill Desk

The treadmill desk is one of the health trends in recent years that are slowly gathering a following. It’s no surprise, since the benefits of using one in your workspace are many, and you’ve probably heard them all. However, does that mean that using a treadmill desk has no drawbacks? The answer to that might be no. Before you invest in a treadmill desk, be sure that you are okay with the drawbacks that it may present.

Cost

Let’s face it; ready-made treadmill desks are not cheap. In fact, the prices of some treadmill desks go into the thousands. Compared to the prices of regular sit-down desks, this can seem ridiculous, especially if you have a small budget. Of course, you can build your own treadmill desk for a lower cost, but you will still have to spend quite an amount of money.

Suitability

While you can reap the benefits of using a treadmill desk if you use one, what happens if you can’t use it? Not everyone is capable of working and walking at the same time, as this requires some coordination. If your coordination is downright bad, you may find using a treadmill desk difficult, or even impossible.

Size

A treadmill desk is a convenient way to get a “gym” into your office, but that doesn’t mean that it does not take up space. The average treadmill desk is quite big, which may not make it suitable if your workspace is just a small cubicle at work. However, this does make it a good reason to work hard, get a promotion, and get a bigger office.

Maintenance

Naturally, maintaining a treadmill desk is going to take a little extra effort compared to a regular desk. If you can’t even keep your regular desk at work clean, you may want to think twice before getting a treadmill desk. It’s not that a treadmill desk takes a whole lot of maintenance; it’s just that if you’re lazy, any extra maintenance is going to be a burden.

All in all, there are some drawbacks to using a treadmill desk, but for most people, these drawbacks are trivial compared to all the benefits it can offer. If you feel you are well-coordinated enough to work while moving, and you really want to make the best use of your time at the office, then go ahead and consider buying a treadmill desk. You will probably wind up loving it.

[Video] 10-Minute Office Cardio Workout

Here's a good "mini-workout" to get the blood flowing after you've been sitting for a while. While this one might not be suitable if you work in a cubicle, if you have your own office it's a great and healthy mid-day pick-me-up! No equipment is required, and you can it in just about any type of clothing.

This is a gentle workout, so you won't get all sweaty at work, but it will elevate your heart rate and get your blood moving and your muscles warmed up to relieve that stiffness that often occurs when sitting at a desk all day.

Take a 10-minute break from your desk today and try this one!

6 Benefits of Using a Treadmill Desk At Work

If you could work out while at work, would you? If your answer is yes, then you should definitely consider getting a treadmill desk. A treadmill desk is a workstation where you can walk on a treadmill as you work. Naturally, you won’t be working out heavily, but the benefits of using a treadmill desk are well worth the investment.

Here Are 6 Benefits of Using a Treadmill Desk:

Benefit #1: You no longer need to rush home after work to get in some exercise for the day. You can exercise while typing up documents, answering emails, and looking at invoices, which means you can exercise at a slow pace for several hours in a workday, if not all day!

Benefit #2: Research has shown that exercising throughout the day is better for your health than sitting all day and exercising just for an hour at the end of the day. You can exercise the right way using a treadmill desk.

Benefit #3: As opposed to just sitting down, having a treadmill desk will do wonders to your fitness and general strength. Your muscles will get stronger, your endurance will improve, and over time you may find that you no longer pant when you go up stairs or walk for prolonged periods of time.

Benefit #4: Better fitness also means that you will be less likely to develop certain diseases later on, such as heart disease, strokes, embolisms, diabetes, and so on. You will also strengthen your immune system in general, which could mean fewer sick days in the year.

Benefit #5: If you are on a diet, using a treadmill desk will allow you to be a bit more flexible with how much you are allowed to eat. You’d be burning more calories throughout the day, which means you can eat more calories without gaining weight than if you were just sitting at your desk at work.

Benefit #6: Being on the move all day will also help you stay alert at work, preventing those afternoon crashes and accidental naps on your keyboard! :-) This will increase your productivity at work.

As you can see, the advantages you can reap from switching to a treadmill desk at work are not just one or two; there are many!

If your company has a person who is in charge of ergonomics, you can talk to them for suggestions on how to make the switch. If there isn’t such a person, you can always go to a dealer who sells such treadmill desks, and ask them for recommendations.

A note though: be sure to check first that you have the space for a treadmill desk in your workspace, and also find out whether the administration of your company allows you to use one.

[Video] 10-Minute Fun P90-X Workout

Got 10 minutes? Get fit and squash sitting disease with this fast, fun, intense 10-minute workout that will get your heart rate up, your blood flowing, and your muscles burning!

This short workout will work all of your major muscle groups for great toning for your abs, back, legs, arms, and more, plus a good cardio burn as well to increase your metabolism and burn more fat. All you need is a mat and a set of hand weights - or do it without weights if you prefer.

For a 10-minute workout, this can't be beat!

Is Sitting Disease Killing You?

Let’s face it: we no longer live in the cavemen era that our bodies were built for, where our ancestors had to kill or grow their own food, and were constantly on the move. Nowadays most people spend their day sitting at their desk, sitting in the car, sitting on the couch, and then going to bed. If this is what your day looks like as well, then your sedentary lifestyle may be slowly killing you.

What is a Sedentary Lifestyle?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Simply put, a sedentary lifestyle is a lifestyle where you get little to no physical activity that involves being on your feet. This type of lifestyle is one of the worse kinds of lifestyles you can have, even if you don’t engage in other health-damaging activities such as smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol. This is because there are a lot of health risks that come with a sedentary lifestyle, as more and more evidence shows.

Health Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle

Included among the many health risks that you could face if you maintain your sedentary lifestyle are:

• Sleep apnea, where obstruction to the airways causes you to stop breathing periodically when you are sleeping. The obstruction can be caused by many reasons, but obesity and a sedentary lifestyle contribute to it significantly. These breathing pauses can be very detrimental in the long run, and have been linked to heart attack, stroke, and the development of diabetes.

• Cardiovascular diseases, or in simple terms, diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Leading an overly sedentary lifestyle is usually coupled with eating too much and weight gain, which in turn increases your risk for heart disease.

• Mental slowdowns as you get older. There is some evidence that a sedentary lifestyle can push along the process of memory deterioration as we age.

• Pulmonary embolisms, which are more common among sedentary people, and there is an even higher risk if a sedentary woman is also on birth control pills.

What Can You Do to Minimize the Risk?

It’s simple: just start moving around more. Nobody is asking you to start running marathons every day (though, if you could, that would be great!). Just take small steps to ensure that you get some exercise into your day. For example, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator, and park your car a little bit further so you can take a short walk before and after work. Get a treadmill desk, or at least a standing desk if possible if you sit at long periods at work. Stand while you are on the phone. Every little bit adds up, but if you can add in about 30 minutes of proper exercise each day, that would be even better. Check out our Fun Ways to Exercise page for some fast and fun ways to work out that only take a few minutes per day.

So, start taking those baby steps towards a healthier lifestyle today. When you have a healthy heart at 70 and beyond, you’ll be happy you did!

[Video] 20-Minute Low Impact Cardio Workout (Part 1)

This short video provides a basic, low-impact cardio workout great for seniors or those who need a gentle workout due to fitness impairment or injury. Get your core temperature up and your blood flowing with this easy workout.

This video is part one of the full 20-minute workout, and is about 11 minutes long. No equipment is required, so let's get moving!

Check out the video at this link if it does not appear below:

https://youtu.be/iC_UG8yVGOw