Office Mania

I met my husband on New Years Eve 2011 and we were engaged April 10, 2011 so needless to say it didn't take us long to decide we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.  As one would guess this quick decision also led to other quick actions like getting a job in a matter of weeks here in Conroe, Texas.  I have no doubt that God had his hand in me getting my current position because of how well all of the pieces fell into place.  There was only one problem.  I was hired on in the late Spring and the summer time is the slowest part of the year for us because we work in the schools.  I (with no exaggeration) gained 30lbs in two months after starting this job.  I went from running after a two year old and being fairly active to sitting in chair 8 hours a day and eating what I now know are 1500 calorie meals for lunch.  Bad combination!  I even went to the doctor several times thinking I had a medical problem that explained my rapid weight gain but alas... it was just me and my bad habits.

Not Quite Right

So needless to say with summer creeping up on me I am feeling the stress of potential weight gain taking over and I decided to research some office exercises to help keep the pounds at bay!  Exercising during the day doesn't just benefit your diet plan it also reduces office stress and improves mobility.  Now I know what you guys are thinking, "I don't have an office to myself and I am NOT going to look like and idiot doing push-ups in the reception area!!"  First of all... I don't blame you!  Second I'm not about to suggest you do that!  I found some simple moves you can do at your desk, some more discreet than others of course, but all do-able without too much notice being drawn to you!  Plus this is about you remember?  And even if someone makes a comment about what you are doing who cares?  You are the one burning off those calories while they are standing around gawking, which means you are kicking butt and getting fit while they are letting those inches get comfy on their waist lines!


I of course didn't come up with these moves on my own though I have done all of them outside of the office!  If you don't like these moves just google office workouts and find something that suits your mobility and ability and post it up in front of your desk so you don't forget!  Everyone has down time at some point in the day (at least most of us) so don't waist the time drooling on your keyboard burn some calories!  Its also been said that working out just a few minutes during the day can be more effective of keeping your metabolism up than working out for an hour after work!  Imagine that!!

I found this workout at http://exercise.about.com/cs/exerciseworkouts/l/blofficeworkout.htm

Equipment Needed A chair and a water bottle or light-medium dumbbell. Stretches for Your Wrists and ArmsWrist  Stretch: Extend arm in front, palm up and grab the fingers with other hand. Gently pull the fingers towards you to stretch the forearm, holding for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Wrist & Forearm: Press hands together in front of chest, elbows bent and parallel to the floor. Gently bend wrists to the right and left for 10 reps. Lower Back Stretch: Sit tall and place the left arm behind left hip. Gently twist to the left, using the right hand to deepen the stretch, holding for 20-30 seconds.  Repeat on the other side.    Lower Body Exercises Hip Flexion: Sit tall with the abs in and lift the left foot off the floor a few inches, knee bent. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat for 16 reps.  Repeat on the other side. Leg Extension: Sit tall with the abs in and extend the left leg until it's level with hip, squeezing the quadriceps. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat for 16 reps.  Repeat on the other side. Inner Thigh: Place towel, firm water bottle or an empty coffee cup between the knees as you sit up tall with the abs in.  Squeeze the bottle or cup, release halfway and squeeze again, completing 16 reps of slow pulses.     Chair Exercises Chair Squat: While sitting, lift up until your hips are just hovering over the chair, arms out for balance.  Hold for 2-3 seconds, stand all the way up and repeat for 16 reps. Dips: Make sure chair is stable and place hands next to hips. Move hips in front of chair and bend the elbows, lowering the body until the elbows are at 90 degrees. Push back up and repeat for 16 reps. One-Leg Squat:  Make sure the chair is stable and take one foot slightly in front of the other.  Use the hands for leverage as you push up into a one-legged squat, hovering just over the chair and keeping the other leg on the floor for balance.  Lower and repeat, only coming a few inches off the chair for 12 reps.  Repeat on the other side.   Upper Body Exercises Front Raise to Triceps Press: Sit tall with the abs in and hold a full water bottle in the left hand.  Lift the bottle up to shoulder level, pause, and then continue lifting all the way up over the head.  When the arm is next to the ear, bend the elbow, taking the water bottle behind you and contracting the triceps.  Straighten the arm and lower down, repeating for 12 reps on each arm. Bicep Curl: Hold water bottle in right hand and, with abs in and spine straight, curl bottle towards shoulder for 16 reps. Repeat other side.     Ab Exercises Side Bends: Hold a water bottle with both hands and stretch it up over the head, arms straight. Gently bend towards the left as far as you can, contracting the abs. Come back to center and repeat to the right. Complete 10 reps (bending to the right and left is one rep). Ab Twists: Hold the water bottle at chest level and, keeping the knees and hips forward, gently twist to the left as far as you comfortably can, feeling the abs contract. Twist back to center and move to the left for a total of 10 reps. Don't force it or you may end up with a back injury.

What I DON'T Want To See!

Now please don't embarrass the both of us and use your roller chair to do this and bust it on the floor!  Common sense says to find a stationary object or lock the wheels in some manner!  I am releasing myself of any liability of you landing on your behind due to your chair taking a vacation during a dip... just saying!

Also if your office has stairs somewhere in the building utilize them in anyway that you can!  Making small healthy choices is just another change you can be proud of in your routine!  Skip the elevator and walk up or while on break see how many flights you can go up and down!  It doesn't take much to get the blood flowing!!

Remember don't just use your desk as a snack haven!  Use it as a tool to lose those inches!  Oh and make sure those snacks aren't Little Debbies!  In know its tempting but there are some really great 100 calorie packs out there to nibble on during the day!  Plus if you are one of those normal people who like fruit (icky icky yuck!!) then take advantage of the seasonal stuff right now! (Just don't ask me what it is cause I don't know!)

Find what works for you and let me know what it is so I can try it out for myself!  Don't let the office defeat you!!!  (insert cheer... go, fight, win ~ sounds good ~ obviously I am NOT the peppy type :)