You did it! You got your first step on the career ladder and you absolutely love it – you love how challenging it is, how it lets you be creative and how it lets your skills flourish.
However, there’s just one thing that having an insurance job at a desk lacks compared to waitressing at your local steak house (who’d have thought, eh?) and that is exercise. You used to spend your evenings running from one end of the restaurant to the other, up and down stairs carrying stacks of plates – your guns were pretty toned and you were on your feet all day.
Now, however, it’s all too easy to slump in your office chair for 7 hours a day without moving an inch, before going home and slouching in front of the telly. Sound familiar? Yeah, we’ve been there too. Luckily, we’ve perfected a few simple exercises to keep you alert and your blood flowing freely.
Under-desk dynamics
You’ll look as though you’re typing up notes from yesterday’s meetings, when in fact you’re toning your abs and stretching those tight leg muscles.
– Start with both feet flat on the floor
– Sit with your back straight
– Suck in those abs
– Extend one leg so it’s level with your hip and hold for 10 seconds
– Repeat 15 times with both legs
Mini aerobics
It’s good for your career and reputation to be seen around the office, so make an effort to go and see colleagues rather than emailing them. It’s also worth drinking plenty of water as this speeds up your metabolism and will stop you reaching for those 11 o’clock biscuits (it’ll also mean more trips to the loo – and more walking).
Try using the stairs instead of hopping in the lift and be conscious of how you walk – if you walk quickly (without running) and with your back straight, you’ll burn more calories than if you just plod along.
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’…
Replace your desk chair with an exercise ball for an abdominal work-out that lasts all day. As the ball will almost constantly be moving, it forces you to hold yourself upright rather than slouching further and further into your seat that you may as well be horizontal. This simple change will improve balance, tone your core muscles and takes stress off your lower back.
Water bottle, what now?
Ok, so this one will probably raise a few eyebrows, but you could always get the whole team involved in a mini-mid-day workout. Use a full bottle of water to help tone those arms and do what you’d do with weights:
– Sit straight with your abs pulled in
– Hold the bottle in one hand and curl it to your shoulder
– Repeat 15 times with both arms
No sweat
Often, just making small conscious changes to your lifestyle will help you burn calories and tighten your muscles, without the need for lunch time running.
– Stand whenever you can, you’ll burn up to 50 calories an hour more than if you were sitting down
– When you must sit, try not to slouch. Good posture promotes core strengthening and deep breathing, strengthening your core and relaxing your shoulders
– The more you laugh, the more stress-relieving hormones will be released into your system, giving you a sunnier outlook on life and a more positive attitude towards your work
