How can busy people find time for exercise? Workout at work! Here are 14 ways to fit in some exercise without adding any more time to your “too busy” life.

14 Easy Ways To Workout At Work

by Craig Watkins

If you asked 10 people their main reason for not working out, 9 out of 10 of them would most likely say, “I’m way too busy to workout.”

This might be slightly exaggerated, but the world we live in today moves so fast and it is very easy to let all of the day’s responsibilities and obligations take over the things we want to or “should” do. Work, home family… the list can get pretty long.

Working out is no exception. Without regular exercise, our bodies can very easily become seething volcanoes just waiting to blow.

Following are 14 tips that will help you to sneak in small workouts without adding more time to your already too-busy day at the office!

#1 – Park further from the office and walk.

#2 – Ride a bike to work instead of driving if you have the option. Good for you, good for the environment!

#3 - If you use public transportation, get off a stop earlier and walk if you can.

#4 – Take something to your car before 5:00 just for the exercise!

#5 – Take a walk at lunch and eat a healthy meal at your desk.

#6 – Buy a hand gripper and use it while you are reading, waiting for files to download, etc. Using a hand gripper is a great workout for your forearms and better strengthens your hands to deal with repetitive motion like typing or clicking your mouse.

#7 – Keep small dumbbells or exercise bands in your desk drawer and do arm exercises with them throughout the day.

#8 – Take a break and stretch your muscles every hour or so.

#9 – Take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible.

#10 – If you carry a briefcase, keep a couple of heavy books inside. As you are walking in to work you will get an arm workout. Remember to switch arms.

#11 – Use your briefcase for some arm curls at your desk (when no none is looking!).

#12 - When sitting at your desk, occasionally lift your legs off the floor and hold them out straight for 15 seconds. This will activate your core muscles.

#13 – Tone up your butt by flexing for 20 pulses while sitting in your chair! Repeat this 4 or 5 times throughout the day.

#14 – Only fill your water bottle up half way at the water cooler. That way, you will have to get up and walk more often.

You have just read 14 easy (and inexpensive!) ways you can workout at work without adding a single minute to your day! You have to be there anyway, so why not make it worth your while and get the benefits of exercise at the same time!

No more “I’m way too busy to workout” excuses!

Craig Watkins is the owner and operator of FitnessForBusyBodies.com.

3 Tips for busy people to stay in shape by Ace, Affa, Acsm, Nasm, Certified Trainer Heather Rider.

3 Tips For Busy People From A Professional Trainer

by Heather Rider
Ace, Affa, Acsm, Nasm, Certified

One of the biggest populations that I encounter as a trainer is the “I have kids, a job, and no extra time to work out” population. I am always amazed by people who have all of these things going on and still get to the gym. There are so many things that we have going on in life these days, its hard to make exercise one of the priorities. However, if you really want to enjoy your job, your kids, your family and your life, for a long time, you have to stay healthy and that means staying active. I have given many of my clients little ways to get their work outs in when they cant see me and now I am going to share them with you!

1) It’s The Little Things:

These days many of us go for the all or nothing way if thinking, If we cant do a full workout that takes at least 45 minutes, we don’t see the point of doing it at all. Well it doesn’t have to be that way at all. Somewhere in the day if we really try we can find at least 10, maybe even 20 minutes to just move. If that means walking around the office and down the hallways or up and down the stairs, or getting a breath of fresh air, even marching in place at your desk, ANYTHING to get the body moving you are a step ahead. Remember the body will do what it is trained to do. When you are at rest that is what it knows. Teach your body to move again even if its in little places throughout the day. 10 minutes in the morning and ten at night is just fine. Its also a good way to reconnect with a loved one, a child or a pet. Walk!

2) Zip Ups

Many of my clients spend a lot of time worrying about their abdominals and back, as they should. This part of your body better known to many as the core, needs to stay strong and is vulnerable to injury if not. If you cant find the time to do some abdominal work what I call the zip up. Simply take an activity that you do every day, or close. Something like driving in your car, sitting at your computer, shopping at a supermarket. Take five minutes to perform a zip up as you work, drive, shop, whatever. Here is how to do it. Simply pull in your abdominals as if you have just entered a very cold body of water. At the same time bring your shoulders back so you have good posture. Try to see how long you can hold that, and then repeat. This will help to keep your core strong.

3) Leg Lift Up

I have one client who worked out diligently 3-5 days a week for years. Then he fell in love and while that is a wonderful thing, his workouts dwindled to once a week. I begged him to at least walk and do the leg lift up exercise. He didn’t. Its been a year now and he recently injured his knee running for a cab. When he saw the DR this exercise is the first one that my client was told to do. When he told me, head bowed in shame, he said “ imagine how much money I would have saved, not to mention pain of surgery if only I had listened to you” Oh well. Now you can learn from his mistake! This exercise takes less than 5 minutes. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and your hands off the floor, if you have back issues or you feel back pain when doing this, sit up against a wall, but try to do it without. Slowly, and I mean slowly counting to 4, lift your right leg up and then just as slowly lower it without touching the floor. Repeat this on the same leg 10 -20 times. Then switch. You should feel this in your upper leg, which is your quadriceps. The knee is a joint and the only way to strengthen a joint is to keep the muscles around it strong. Remember to do this slow. No cheating!

Exercise can be a great way to give your confidence and energy level a boost. Treat yourself to a few minutes a day and you will see the rewards in mind and body!

www.heatherrider.com

Heather Rider holds a Masters degree in psychology with an emphasis on eating disorders and mind-body fitness. Heather was a Reebok University Master Trainer, and certified by ACE, AFAA, NASM-CPT, ACSM. Heather has appeared in numerous TV and video series including VH-1’s “Getting Brittany Abs”, Crunch on ESPN2, Body By Jake and the syndicated infomercial for AbRoller. She has taught at some of the hottest clubs in New York and Los Angeles, including Crunch, New York Health & Racquet Club, Voight By The Sea, Gold’s and corporate fitness centres located at the United Nations, The American Stock Exchange, Sony and NBC. Heather has also presented at the annual Cory Everson’s Fit Camp for three years.