(ThyBlackMan.com) For a lot of people, the end of the workday is a beeline to the gym! But did you know you can get a workout in while you are still at the office? You absolutely can! It’s important because most people are so limited in their movement at work. If that’s you, I have good news: you can get your workout on at work! Here are four tips on how to accomplish that.
Move Every Ten Minutes
The key to exercise is movement – movement of any sort. The distinction here is activity but not necessarily the kind limited to lifting weights. Many people are confined most of the day in an office or at a cubicle; their movement is severely compromised and this 
can cause problems. The best way to deal with this is to make it a point to move every ten minutes – even if you are doing squats right at your station! Other things you can do are wall push-outs, where your palms are against the wall and you are pushing your body weight away from and back toward the wall. If nothing else, just make sure to do some stretching at your station, such as touching your toes or moving your arms in a circular motion to relieve shoulder tension.
Never Take the Elevator
Speaking of movement, the absolute best practice you can adopt if you are confined to a station at work is the stairwell. The stairs are an office worker’s best friend, just as the cubicle or office is the worst enemy. Taking the stairs as opposed to the elevator is a great lower-body workout that does wonders for your stamina and endurance, too. You are working major muscle groups such as the quads and you are training your heart and lungs at the same to deliver oxygen to your muscles.
Walking stairs is also a great energy-booster and keeps you alert the rest of the day.
Eat Protein for Lunch
Although this is less an exercise-related point, it’s very important. The biggest reason I’m mentioning it is because a lot of people eat bad stuff for lunch and, when they return to the office, it’s all downhill from there. First, make it a point to go light at lunch, especially on the carbonated, sugar-filled drinks and beverages. Second, increase your protein intake after lunch by munching on protein-based fruits such as apples. Another protein source are protein bars, but watch the sugar content in these (anything in double digits is not good).
Ingesting protein adds to a ‘workout’ at work by making you less likely to experience an energy drop during late afternoon hours, and it also contributes to a feeling of satiety, too (along with intake of fiber).
Hydrate
Just as hydrating is important when working out at the gym, it’s also important to experiencing a good day at the office. Make hydration a goal each day! Water is an important source of mental energy. Water is also crucial to cleansing your body of undesirable toxins that collect throughout the day. I usually recommend one gallon of water per day, but that’s excessive for many, given the restriction of movement. Here’s a good alternative: mark a gallon jug for two-hour intervals beginning at 7am. Make it a goal to drink the allotted amount by the end of the day. It’s a great way to get your hydration in!
Move every ten minutes, never take the stairs, eat more protein and drink water to get your workout on at work!
Staff Writer; W. Eric Croomes
This talented brother is a holistic lifestyle exercise expert and founder and executive coach of Infinite Strategies LLC, a multi-level coaching firm that develops and executes strategies for fitness training, youth achievement and lifestyle management. Eric is an author, fitness professional, holistic life coach and motivational speaker.
In October 2015, Eric released Life’s A Gym: Seven Fitness Principles to Get the Best of Both, which shows readers how to use exercise to attract a feeling of wellness, success and freedom (Infinite Strategies Coaching LLC, 2015) – http://www.infinitestrategiescoaching.com.
