How to stay fit at work

Staying fit at work

Exercises affect your job performance to a great extent. They make you feel more energetic, attentive and helps manage stress. Some people complain that they do not have enough time for exercise because of their jobs. There are a lot of exercises that people can do to be more active in and around the workplace:

• If you catch the bus home, try getting off one stop earlier and walking the rest of the way home.
• Use the stairs at work rather than using the lift.
• You should try to walk around to talk to colleagues instead of using phones and mails all the time.
• If you drive to work, park your car at the far end of the parking lot so that you need to walk further.
• Always wear comfortable clothes in a workplace that observes a casual dress code.

You may not need to turn your office into a mini gym, as there are exercises you can do at or near your desk to boost your energy levels, relieve stress and burn calories:

• Stand in front of your chair with your feet and shoulder apart. Bend your knees as though you are sitting on the chair, keeping your weight on your heels. When your legs are parallel with the seat of the chair, slowly get back to your original standing position.
• Point your toe in a forward direction as in a position to kick a ball. Standing upright, slowly bend your knees in the direction of your toes until you can no longer see your toes. Slowly return to your starting position.
• With your back touching the wall, move your feet away from the wall so that the wall is supporting the weight of your back. Bend your knees so that your legs form a 90-degree angle. Hold as long as you can.
• During a coffee break, try calf raises by holding onto your desk or a file cabinet for balance, raise your heels off the floor, and then lower them back to the original position.
• Raise your shoulders up to your ears, hold, and relax slowly. This helps in releasing tension from the shoulder muscles.
• Stand in front of your chair with your feet apart and shoulders level. Get your shoulders in a round position, lifting alternate shoulders to your ear, push shoulders back and forwards.
• Sitting Jog: Sit on a straight back chair. Inhale as you begin to lift your right foot. Exhale as you begin to lower your right foot and raise your left leg. Jog 10 steps. Increase to 50.
• Wrist Stretch: Extend your right arm. Place your left hand under the right forearm. Spread the fingers of your right hand comfortably. Next, you can stretch your wrist up and down and in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction.
• Ankle Stretch: Sit comfortably with both feet touching the floor. Extend your right leg so that toes are pointing down and inhale. Exhale as you flex your foot up. Repeat 5 times.