9 minute read
Can’t Find Time to Work Out? Just Do It At the Office
By Celeste Turner
Whether you work at home or in an office, people are spending a lot more time sitting at a desk or in front of a computer. What if you could actually work out at work?
While you shouldn't give up on your home or gym exercise routine, you can certainly increase your activity with exercises done at your desk. As a matter of fact, exercising just 15 minutes a day can increase your lifespan by as much as three years, according to a Harvard study published in December 2013.
Here are a few strength moves you can try while seated at your desk:
UPPER BODY:
Tricep Dips–Sit on the edge of a stationary (non-wheeled) chair, with both hands facing forward. Bend your elbows as you lower yourself down off the chair, keeping your knees at a right angle. Lower your body then straighten your arms without locking your elbows. Complete 20 dips.
Desk Push-Ups–First, make sure your desk is solid enough to support your weight. Stand and put your hands on the desk. Walk backwards, then with your body at an angle, drop your chest down and push away from the desk. Repeat 15 times. You can also perform push-ups against the wall or drop down to the floor for the classic military-style push-up.
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Standing Arm Circles–while standing in front of your desk, raise your arms straight out to the side and circle clockwise for 20 times. Reverse the motion and circle the arms counterclockwise 20 times. Repeat at least 3 more times.
Try a Chair Lift to Work Your Chest and
Shoulders–Place both hands on your chair arms and slowly lift your bottom off the chair. Lower yourself back down but stop short of the seat, hold for a few seconds. Do 15 times.
If you have a break and can find an empty conference room or office, take a few minutes to shadow box or do some football drills like karaoke or jumping jacks. Instead of walking through the hallways,
LOWER BODY EXERCISES:
Chair Squats–Using a stationary chair, stand in front with feet hip width apart. Then squat over the chair, sitting on your heels, barely sit on the chair, then lift your body to return to a standing position. Complete 20 reps.
Standing Rear Leg Lifts–Hold the edge of a desk or table lightly with one hand and lift one leg, pressing it back. Keep lifting the leg behind you, tightening the hamstring and buttocks for 30 times. Then switch legs and complete two sets on each leg.
Standing Lunges–Stand holding the edge of a desk or table for support, and step one leg back into a lunge. With your weight on your front leg, drop the back knee towards the floor and hold for 15 pulses, then switch legs. Make sure the front knee does not overextend the front foot.
Wall Sit–Take a seat against the wall with your knees at a 90-degree angle and feet planted directly in front of you. Then set a timer for 1 minute and hold your squat pressed against the wall. You can continue
CORE EXERCISES:
Seated Bicycles–While seated in your desk chair, scoot your bottom close to the edge of the seat, slightly lean back and position your hands behind your head. Lift one knee to the opposite elbow, twisting your body. Then return to the seated straight-back position. Make sure you are trying to do an abdominal crunch by bringing your opposite elbow to your knee. Complete 25 reps on each side (total 50 reps).
V-Ups–While seated in your desk chair, lean back and hold the sides of the chair as you lift your knees together to touch your chest.
do walking lunges down the hall for lower body conditioning.
Staying active at your desk or incorporating exercise around the home/ office will help increase blood flow and build strength. Other healthy options to keep you moving include sitting on an exercise ball instead of a chair. The exercise ball will strengthen your abs and back, while working on your posture. Use your phone to set an alarm as a reminder to stand up, stretch, and move around. You will feel more alert even if you just get up and take a deep breath. Also, track your steps by using your phone’s activity monitor or Fitbit device. You want to strive for at least 6,000 to 10,000 steps per day. Beyond your desk at the office, you can exercise in between clients or meetings by running the stairs rather than using the elevator. For a more difficult cardiovascular workout, try to do two steps at a time. But most importantly, remember that any physical exercise is better than none. Even while you are at work, short bouts of exercise throughout the day will help you burn more calories and reduce stress.
ALL TYPES OF DADS
…and the Gifts to Get Them
By Julie Mitchell
Father’s Day is coming up, and how annoying is it when you’re trying to think of a good gift and all you can find are lists recommending whiskey stones? There’s so many "gifts for dad" articles, but their idea of a dad is if Paul Bunyan was in I Love Lucy. Comically masculine yet weirdly stoic? What folks need to understand is that there are TYPES of dads, easily identifiable categories, and they all want very different things. This is a comprehensive list GUARANTEED to have a category for your dad (or your money back!), so let’s take a moment to tour through (and find a perfect gift!) for all the types of dads.
SPORTS DAD
Very popular in Disney Channel original movies and, honestly, most movies, this dad is a coach both on and off the field. He’s athletic and a little demanding, potentially played sports before or just way too into teamwork. These dads are always there to cheer you on no matter what you’re doing (let’s hope!) and will do it in style. Some great gifts for a sports dad: a whistle, new sneakers, golden retriever puppy, camping equipment, a DVD copy of Groundhog Day, lemonade mix, Applebee’s gift card, and tickets to “the big game.” Have fun!!
LITERARY DAD
A literary dad maybe used to be a professor, or writes plays, or loves maps. He is gentle and knowledgeable. He probably never built you a treehouse, but he will happily tell you about all the stars. You can often find a literary dad reading in a chair by the fire or jotting something down in a notebook he keeps in his back pocket. A hit at sleepovers and during the teenage years in general, literary dads are usually very lax about rules because a.) they trust you and because b.) they’re thinking about something else. Some great gifts for a literary dad: anything from Barnes & Noble, expensive pens, slippers, a small bonsai tree, Applebee’s gift card, new glasses, chocolate from another country, and stamps. Enjoy!
DEAD DAD
Sometimes our dads die, and this doesn’t stop Father’s Day from happening. This is okay because you can still get a gift, it’s just for you instead of him. Maybe your dad died before you were old enough to remember, or recently after a long relationship, or you just met him and he died, or you never knew him and you heard that he died. However it happened, he’s not here, but you are, and it’s okay to get yourself a gift on Father’s Day because your dad is one of the reasons you exist and, sometimes, that deserves a gift. Gifts for yourself on Father’s Day are easier because you know yourself, so you can just get something you would like, but I’m happy to provide some examples if you don’t have any good ideas. Gifts for you can include: Applebee’s gift card, pedicure (if you don’t want color, you can get clear; it just feels nice), DVD copy of Trading Places, spicy cashews, jigsaw puzzle, whole pizza, new shower curtain, journal, fancy phone case, flowers, tattoo, or expensive moisturizer (side note: these also work if your dad isn’t dead but isn’t in your life, or he is but he’s bad at it). Live it up!
HIPPIE DAD
This is a dad that has definitely done more drugs than he’s told you about and has at least one guitar, even though you’ve never seen him play (or he plays all the time; interestingly there’s no middle ground it’s one or the other). A hippie dad mostly wears sweatpants and t-shirts of bands that broke up years ago and has a lot of random Asian inspired decorations. Hippie dads have a huge record collection that they are constantly pulling out to tell you facts about. Some great gifts for a hippie dad: tie-dye kit, hacky sack, book about meditating, robe made from hemp, a gift card to Applebee’s, edibles, beaded curtains, mancala board, blacklight bulbs, and organic pasta. Stay groovy!
SUBURBAN DAD
Suburban dads have the minivan, the full-time job that makes them wear a blazer everyday, and the farm house sink. What they don’t have is class consciousness and a skincare routine, but hopefully they’re working on it. Suburban dads can help with the SAT because they read the Wall Street Journal and can help with salads because they have a cherry tomato garden out back. With a full freezer in the garage filled with off brand sodas, is there anything they can’t do? Potential gifts for a suburban dad: themed Monopoly set, “funny” ties, golf pencils, fishing memorabilia, something related to the show Cheers, seasonal M&M’S, books about JFK, a gift card to Applebee’s, socks, and a lampshade shaped like a boat. Keep truckin’!
There are obviously more specific subcategories (for example a World War II dad), but they all fit under one of the broader categories above (a World War II dad is a type of literary dad). I hope this list is helpful to you in your quest to find your dad the perfect gift for
Father’s Day that lets him know, “I love you, but you should still pay for my therapy.” In this crazy world and in these crazy times, everyone is different and that’s beautiful, but there are also things we all share, like loving Applebee’s.
