5 Tips to Burn Calories during the Work Day
Don’t have time to hit the gym during the weekdays? We all know that it’s a struggle to find time to stay in shape, especially when we’re busy with our 9-to-5 lives behind the office desk. Even making the effort to hit the gym before or after work is a difficult habit to keep up on a regular basis. That being said, there are ways to maximize your calorie-burning activity while at work. Below are five tips to help you out.
Get up, stand up
Sitting at your desk for hours on end not only makes you feel sluggish, but it has also been linked to health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. Make the effort to take breaks every 30 minutes to get up and stretch, perhaps even taking a quick walk around the office. Here’s an interesting fact: working for 40 minutes while standing up will burn an extra 100 calories during the day.
Take the stairs
Instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs. Especially if your office is located just a floor or two above ground level, climbing those steps will save you time of waiting for the lift to arrive. Not only that, but taking the stairs also burns almost 120 calories for every 10 to 15 minutes, and at the same time tones the gluteus maximus, hamstrings, and calf muscles.
Go out during break
Have a one-hour break? Rather than remaining at your desk, take a quick stroll outside around the neighborhood. It has been shown in studies that being in the outdoors brightens your mood, taking your mind off of work and other stressful affairs. Walking at a comfortable speed (about 3.0 to 5.0 mph) will burn between 70 to 100 calories. Plus, getting your daily dose of vitamin D from sunlight is an added bonus!
Keep fitness gear at work
Might sound strange at first, but having items like resistance bands or light weights at your desk will help you stay on track with you fitness goal. Take five to ten minutes out of your work schedule to do a few arm curls or yoga stretches. If you can, trade your office chair for a stability ball to tone your butt and improve posture.
Have meetings outside
Nothing beats the outdoors than experiencing it with others at work. Take your meetings outside, whether around the office building or at a nearby café. Changing up the work environment not only stimulates the mind in fresh ways, but it also gives you the opportunity to walk about and bond with your co-workers over nature. Even if you have to talk about stressful things, the fresh environment will make everything more positive.
*BONUS
Commute to work without a car
Especially if you live in a big city, you might find commuting without a car to be a hassle. However, you might be surprised that many big cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago have bike paths for those to ride to work on. Biking is an excellent way to burn calories while also making it to work on time. On top of the fitness benefits, you also avoid the rush-hour traffic.
If biking is not possible, taking the bus or subway is a good alternative, since they usually have stops within a few blocks of wherever you want to go. That way, you only have to walk over to your office after you get off. If you absolutely cannot avoid driving a car, then parking your vehicle farther from the office entrance will motivate you to walk more.
Making these little changes is sure to help in big ways when it comes to your work environment and overall fitness.
