If you work an office desk job, you know exactly how it feels to sit in a chair all day staring at a computer.
By the time 5 o’clock rolls around, your eyes are probably working overtime just to blink. And sitting on the couch with takeout starts to sound way more appealing than hitting the gym and cooking.
We know how hectic the office can be – hundreds of emails, printer disasters, endless meetings, and tight deadlines!
Allow us to let you in on a little secret…your work day doesn’t have to make you feel so sluggish! Follow these handy tricks to keep yourself in shape, alert, and energetic throughout the work day.
Don’t Skip Breakfast
Your metabolism slows down while you’re sleeping, so you gotta wake it up and get it moving out the door right along with you.
Wake up earlier to give yourself time to eat a healthy breakfast. Your brain, tummy, and metabolism will thank you!
In a perfect world, we’d all be able to resist the temptation to hit snooze. If you still can’t seem to get yourself up earlier, then at least have a breakfast all ready so that you can eat on the go or at the office. You can keep things like fiber packed cereal, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, or greek yogurt on hand and easily available to eat at your desk.
Work at a Standing Desk
A lot of offices these days have standing desks so that you can stay on your feet throughout the day instead of sitting for 8 hours.
Take advantage of this standing time to do a few reps of squats and lunges!
Meal Prep for the Week
Trust us, Monday morning you will thank Sunday night you! Having your lunch and dinner all packed and set for the week takes a big weight off your shoulders. Plus, if there’s any way to make life easier, do it!
Grocery shopping and cooking at home may seem like a hassle, but you’re actually saving yourself time and money! If you’re making your own meals, that’s less money you have to spend buying lunch and dinner every week.
Start doing all of your meal prep on Sunday so that you don’t have any more cooking to do throughout the week. See? More time and money in your back pocket!
Drink Plenty of Water
It’s no secret by this point that drinking water is essential for keeping your body hydrated. Added bonus? Drinking more water also promotes weight loss and speeds up your metabolism.
Don’t forget to fill up your water bottle!
Do Some Exercises at Your Desk
Isometric workouts (or stationary strength training exercises) are perfect to seamlessly do at your desk. Here’s a few examples:
- Swivel Chair Abs: sit upright with your feet hovering above the ground. Hold the edge of your desk and use your core to swivel side to side in the chair.
- Shoulder Shrug: Raise both shoulders up to your ears and hold for 5 seconds, relax, and repeat for 15 reps.
- Seat Squeeze: Squeeze your glutes and hold for 5-10 seconds, and release. Repeat for gluteus “maximum” results.
- Namaste Arms: Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor. Bring your palms together in front of the chest and push your hands together until you feel the burn. Hold for 20 seconds, release, and repeat.
