Motivation Moday

 Workout moves you can sneak in throughout the day, lack of time is no longer an excuse.

Following are 12 tips that will help you to sneak in small workouts without adding more time to your already too-busy day at the office!

1) Park further from the office and walk.
2) Ride a bike to work instead of driving if you have the option. Good for you, good for the environment!
3) If you use public transportation, get off a stop earlier and walk if you can.
4) Take something to your car before 5:00 just for the exercise!
5) Take a walk at lunch and eat a healthy meal at your desk.
6) Buy a hand gripper and use it while you are reading, waiting for files to download, etc. Great workout for your forearms and better strengthens your hands to deal with repetitive motion like typing or clicking your mouse. You can also keep small dumbbells or exercise bands in your desk drawer and do arm exercises with them throughout the day.
7) Take a break every hour or so and stretch your muscles.
8) Take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible.
9) If you carry a briefcase, keep a couple of heavy books inside. As you are walking in to work you will get an arm workout. Remember to switch arms. (You can even use the briefcase for some arm curls at your desk when no none is looking!)
10) When sitting at your desk, occasionally lift your legs off the floor and hold them out straight for 15 seconds. This will activate your core muscles.
11) Tone up your butt by flexing for 20 pulses while sitting in your chair! Repeat this 4 or 5 times throughout the day.
12) Only fill your water bottle up half way at the water cooler. That way, you have to get up and walk more often.

If you get home and still feel like you need to add a little more cardio into your daily but would rather watch one of your favorite TV shows, then do both:

TV TimeMany of us watch our favorite television shows to relax after a hard day. While it may be tempting to plop on the couch and veg, don't. After a long day the last thing your body needs is to sit down; moving will make you feel better and get you closer to your goals. Vow to do push-ups, crunches, jumping jacks or some sort of exercise during each commercial break. Performing these moves during the commercials of an hour-long show can help you burn at least 100 calories more than sitting, and you still get to enjoy your guilty-pleasure show.

Bottom Line:
Remember that while you may work out regularly, that's only a few minutes out of your entire day that you're actively moving your body, which is designed for physical activity. Squeezing in short bursts of exercise is great for beginners and experienced exercisers because it burns calories, tones muscles, strengthens your heart and helps you achieve an active lifestyle, the benefits of which are far reaching. So start thinking of more ways you can get active on the job, at home and throughout the day!