Get Some Workout Done With Simple Exercise Equipment
Working towards your life goals is always a good thing. But when it’s all you do and actually end up deliberately forgetting to care about yourself enough to exercise, then you might find out later on that you can no longer enjoy the fruits of your hard work.
Medical experts have proven that a sedentary lifestyle can bring a lot of bad in your life. These can range from simple soreness in the neck to something more serious such as heart disease. Here is a quick list of what can possibly happen to people who fail to work out on a regular basis:
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Neck pain
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Upper and lower back pain
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Leg pain
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Foot pain
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Heart disease
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High blood pressure
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Diabetes
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Stroke
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Anxiety
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Depression
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Shoulder pain
The main problem here is, everything starts out with negligible symptoms. Many do not even know where it starts. A simple pain in the neck is often disregarded as something that happens because of straining the neck because of an activity. Or sometimes, people will just think this is a sign that you’re getting “tired”. And before they know it, that simple sign becomes an actual symptom of high blood pressure or an active stroke.
Many often think this is just propaganda to scare us into doing things we don’t really want to do. But this is actually true and to help you fight the risk of falling ill while working hard to reach your goals, here’s a happy medium: work out while working – and maybe even have some fun while you’re at it.
Here are a few ideas you can adopt while doing your daily activities on your work desk:
Swap out your computer chair with an exercise ball
Instead of sitting on your chair while you work, use an exercise ball. It might feel a little weird at first, it might just bring your working space a little extra fun element. The great part here is you’ll end up strengthening your core without even knowing you’re doing so. What can you do with an exercise ball instead of a computer chair?
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Literally, bounce around on your ideas. Bounce a bit while contemplating your next move. You might be surprised at how easily ideas come flowing and how light you’ll feel while you’re working.
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Do some oblique twists for a little stretching. This will give you a bit of a workout with conscious effort. A good stretch will get your blood flowing and also loosen your muscles.
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Roll in place to strengthen your core muscles. This can be quite fun to do that you’ll end up just thinking about how enjoyable it is instead of how much you’re actually doing for your core.
Get an “under desk” fitness equipment
Who says you can’t get your workout done if you don’t leave your workstation? Adding an under desk elliptical can give you a good workout without having the need to have bulky exercise equipment. You won’t even need to stop working to do this. There are actually two ways to take advantage of this genius piece of exercise equipment:
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Under your desk – you can get working on your fitness equipment while you’re sitting in your chair, and while still doing all your work for the day.
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While on a standing desk – if you’re happy using a standing desk, then maximize the opportunity presented to you. Place the portable fitness equipment on the spot where you normally stand, get on it, and start your steps. Once again, you can still continue doing your work while your legs are getting a workout.
This is a good idea if you want to tone your leg muscles, or just want to help your blood circulate better with some activity since you spend most of your time in a stationary position.
You actually have 3 different options here:
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Under Desk Ellipticals
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Under Desk Steppers
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Under Desk Bikes
Use a treadmill and standing desk combo
Getting your cardio workout done can be a bit of a challenge especially since you’re always busy all the time. So why not bring the cardio into your work? Swap out your old table for a standing desk and get the treadmill positioned in front of it. You can either use a small folding one or a fully electronic one that doesn’t obstruct your table’s surface. You don’t necessarily need to run while you’re working, you can do small steps so you can get settled in. And when you feel a little frustrated, don’t walk it off. Run! Do a quick 3 minute run according to the pace that you find comfortable. Then resume walking at a normal pace, like a cool down phase and you’ll find yourself much calmer and even suddenly gain clarity on what you need to do next.
Keep an elastic band within reach
If you’re not doing any particular work that needs your hands, let’s say, reading emails, then you can use elastic bands to give your upper body and shoulders a good stretch. You can also use these resistance bands for your legs and feet even while you’re seated. If you need to engage in active work that requires both your hands, then you can tie up the elastic band around both your calves or thighs like a huge rubber band that will fit both limbs, and start stretching. You might be a little conscious about it at first, but when you get used to this activity, then you won’t even be aware you’re getting a workout.
Many will disagree that putting in the work in your workout is not necessary. But sometimes, it’s more about a compromise on how you can get what you need in whatever form you can get it. Ever heard about the line “If you can’t bring Mohammed to the mountain, bring the mountain to Mohammed”? This is practically the same thing. You can’t go to the gym or make the time to run outside, you should bring your exercise opportunities within your workspace—not to stress you out, but to allow you to essentially hit two birds with one stone.
