Work, Work, Work, Work, Workout!

Post By Lily Gil, Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor at Nourish Northwest

We all get that feeling when 5:30 or 6:00 rolls around, and we finally leave work for the day,

It can be hard to come up with the energy to head to the gym after a long day at work, when your tummy is growling and you really want to just change into your pajamas and watch reality television.  Or at 5 am in the morning when your alarm attempts to beep some life into you, and the most exercise you can manage is hurling your arm across the night stand into the snooze button. We’ve all been there. Unless you haven’t, in which case, major props to you for waking up bright eyed and bushy tailed while it’s still dark out. Although I cannot say enough in support of pre-work day workouts to get you feeling fresh and energetic, as well as those post-work day workouts to shift your mind away from the long stressful day, I’m here to tell you that you can work out WHILE you’re at work!

Yes, you read that right. You can squeeze a workout right smack into your workday. There are a few ways to do this.

1. Workout during your lunch break. If you’re lucky and work at a place that gives you that full hour for lunch, you have PLENTY of time to sneak out, HIIT up the gym (pun intended) and make it back without anyone knowing you just blasted it out alongside Rhianna’s “work, work, work, work, work”. To give yourself time to change into workout clothes, workout, then towel yourself off and change out of those workout clothes, keep your workout short and intense. Choose 4 of our favorite exercises, such as jump squats, high knees, mountain climbers, and thrusters. Perform one exercise for 45 seconds, rest for 15, then go right into the next exercise, until you’ve made it through all 5 exercises. Take a minute break, then, simply repeat that entire series for a total of 4 rounds. BAM. There’s you’re super intense, 20 minute workout.
2. Workout at your desk! Depending on your sweat level, office shower situation, and coworker tolerance, option 1.’s 20 minutes of interval training may be a bit much for you. NOT TO WORRY. You can easily take that workout to your desk. A few of my favorite desk exercises:

1. Incline push-ups. Standing, place your hands on the edge of your desk and step backwards so that your body is in one straight line, at a nice angle. Complete 20 incline push-ups, or as many as it takes to feel slightly out of breath, but not sweat through your professional attire.
2. Chair squats. Sit at the edge of your chair, And stand up slightly, then lower back down. Repeat until those quads start shaking. This can also be done from a standing position, taking a full squat. 20 of these as well.
3. 3. Air bench. Sit back against a wall, knees bent at 90 degree angles. Hold for 1 minute.
4. 4. Heel raises. From standing, rise up onto your toes, then lower back down until your calves burn, repeat 20 times.
5. REPEAT this series as many times as you like throughout the day! Feel free to add on to these 4 exercises, as your desk/office space allows. While this option doesn’t give you quite the same intensity as a full on lunch time HIIT workout, or a class at Nourish NW, it certainly has its benefits! Getting that heart rate up even slightly, may up your energy, increase your productivity, and make the day go by quicker.

Give it a try tomorrow, just to see how it feels. You won’t be disappointed!