4 Exercises You Can Do At Work To Stay Healthy & Productive

Commuting, working at your desk all day long, doing the groceries, cleaning the house, and helping the kids with their homework, leaves you with little to no time to hit the gym or even go for a walk and re-energise.

After all, that’s the life of a busy business owner!

But what if we told you that you could actually exercise while at work and stay healthy without going to the gym?

Got you intrigued?

Great!

In this blog, we’ll share four easy exercises you can do when you’re at work to stay physically and mentally fit.

We hope this goes without saying but, if you do feel any pain or discomfort during any of these exercises, please stop and consult with a fitness professional to get some alternative exercises.

Seated Leg Raises

If you’re sitting a lot, typing away all day long, you might develop back pain, especially if you adopt the wrong posture when using your keyboard. So, to avoid having a sore back at the end of a long day at work, spend 5 minutes doing leg raises while sitting at your desk.

Here’s how to do it properly:

1. Sit upright in your office chair
2. Straighten your right leg and lift it, so it’s parallel to the floor
3. Hold for 20 seconds
4. Do the same with the left leg
5. Repeat for 5 minutes

Leg raises are a sure-fire way to get your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps firing, this is also where you should feel the workout - sort of a slight (but good!) burning sensation.

And the best part is that you can even do this while you’re sitting in a meeting room or having lunch with your colleagues!

Chair Dips

Doing chair dips is a great way to get some exercise and tone up your arms.

To do this exercise, all you need is a sturdy chair and a little bit of space between the chair and your desk.

1. Scoot up to the front edge of the chair
2. Place your legs in front of you in a squat position while resting your hands on either side of the chair
3. Grab the edges of the chair and use your arms to lift your body up and down while keeping your core engaged
4. Do three sets of 15 repetitions

Go For A 5-15 Minute Walk

Did you know that Australian workers spend 76% of their time at work sitting?

Unfortunately, sitting for long periods of time can cause serious mental and physical health issues.  

But there’s an easy remedy.

Doing a few minutes of cardio every day is a great way to stay healthy mentally and physically! And all you need is a few minutes of walking to help release stress and increase your energy levels and productivity. What’s more, walking will also help alleviate back, shoulder, and neck pain.

And the good news is that you don’t even need to go for a long walk away from your office to reap the benefits! Studies show that taking several short walks throughout the day is as effective as taking one long walk.

The perfect excuse to go to the coffee machine or have a quick chat with your colleagues down the hall a few times a day 😉

Do A Jigsaw Puzzle

Your brain is a muscle.

So, in the same way exercise is important to keep your body in good shape, you should also exercise your brain to ensure it stays healthy too.

And according to research, one of the best ways to care for your brain and improve your focus and memory is to do jigsaw puzzles.

And guess what?

You don’t have to bring your 1000-piece puzzle at work. There are plenty of online jigsaw puzzles you can do from your laptop.

On top of these exercises, you should also practice stretching and other mental activities such as reading or problem solving regularly, this will help keep your blood flowing and your brain working!

We hope this article will help you stay healthy even if you’re working long hours. At Upcover, we care about your health, and we know your time is precious. That’s why we’ve created an easy-to-use instant quote generator tell help you find market-leading business insurance. Try it now to receive your quote within seconds and buy your insurance within minutes!