6 Exercises to Do at Your Desk

6 Exercises to Do at Your Desk

When I told Mr. RC I was going to need him to photograph me doing exercises at my desk, he thought I was completely joking. After laughing for a few minutes, he’s like “Oh. Wait. You’re serious?!”. Well, I just did leg lifts while typing this post while wearing heels…..what do you think?! He ended up laughing the entire time he was shooting these photos, but that’s ok because, as the saying goes, he who laughs first doesn’t finish their work day with toned triceps and tight abs. So your co-workers may be giggling at you now, but just remember who will leave the office looking better tonight. And if you don’t work in an office (like me), these exercises are still perfect to do, because let’s be honest, we’ve all got crazy schedules these days, so if we can fit in a butt blaster while blasting through our bills it will take the pain off of handing over your hard-earned money while also allowing you to not feel guilty about the dessert you want after dinner. And can I get an Amen from my multi-taskers?? I mean it doesn’t get more multi-tasky than working out while working. AmIrightoramIright????!!! If you’re ready to get your workout out on right from your desk, keep on reading to see my favorite 6 desk exercises.

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Triceps Toner // Just like your typical tricep dip, you’ll want to sit at the edge of your chair for this exercise. Then, keeping your elbows locked in, simply dip up and down. I usually aim to do 10 reps at a time. To switch it up, instead of doing the reps, just hold the downward portion of the position for 10-15 seconds.

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Wrist Stretch // You’ll want to stand up for this stretch that helps prevent carpal tunnel. Simply place your hands, palm up, flat on the table, keeping your fingers pointing towards yourself (you may need to lean over a little bit). Hold for 15 seconds.

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Ab Cruncher // Leaning back just a bit, sit on the edge of your seat, arms by your side, hands lightly pressing down on the chair, legs at a slight angle, and feet on tip-toes. Then, keeping your knees pressed together, fluidly raise your legs up and down, always landing on your tip-toes. I aim to do 10 reps at a time, sometimes holding the last one for 5 seconds.

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Leg Lift // Sitting on the edge of your seat, raise one leg to knee height. Hold it for 15 seconds, before repeating on the opposite leg. If the lift is too hard to hold, use your hands to gently assist.

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Butt Blaster // Act like you are going to get up out of your chair, but instead of standing, stop about half way up. Adjust yourself to make sure your knees aren’t over your ankles, then stretch your arms out in front of your, clasp your hands, and hold the pose for 15 seconds. To switch it up, raise up and down, holding this position, for 10 reps.

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Calf Raises // Again, sit on the edge of your chair. With your legs out in front of you at a 90 degree angle, simply raise your legs up onto your tip-toes and back down. Repeat 20 times. (I was doing these so frequently that they’ve become second nature to for me to do anytime I’m sitting at my desk.)

A few things to keep in mind:

  • For additional exercise options, keep a light set of hand weights under your desk and do things like bicep curls while sitting on that oh-so-boring conference call that you really don’t want to be on.

  • Watch out for rolling chairs.

  • And please keep in mind, I am not a trained professional. These are simply exercises I have been doing at my desk for years and I wanted to share them with you guys. So if you injure yourself or a co-worker makes fun of you, don’t say I didn’t warn you!