Sneak in workout at work & home
Sitting down exercises
Arm Circles
This unintimidating warmup gets your blood moving and can help to build muscle tone in your shoulders, triceps, and biceps.
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms parallel to the floor.
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Circle your arms forward using small controlled motions, gradually making the circles bigger until you feel a stretch in your triceps.
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Reverse the direction of the circles after about 10 seconds.
Tricep Dips
This simple move is a great bodyweight exercise that builds arm and shoulder strength and can be done almost anywhere. Use it as part of an upper-body strength workout.
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Sit on the edge of a stable chair, weight bench, or step and grip the edge next to your hips.
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Your fingers should be pointed at your feet, your legs extended, and your feet about hip-width apart with the heels touching the ground.
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Look straight ahead with your chin up.
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Press into your palms to lift your body and slide forward just far enough that your behind clears the edge of the chair.
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Lower yourself until your elbows are bent between 45 and 90 degrees.
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Control the movement throughout the range of motion.
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Push yourself back up slowly until your arms are almost straight and repeat.
Bicycle Crunches
When done correctly, this exercise works your abdominals and obliques. In 2001, it was deemed the No. 1 exercise for strengthening the abdominal muscles that make up the “six pack”.
Lie on your back on the floor (or, preferably, on a mat for some support). Press your lower back into the floor and bend knees while keeping feet flat on the floor.
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Place hands behind head, interlacing fingers if preferred. Keep elbows wide and gently cradle your head in your hands.
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Bring your knees up, with shins parallel to the floor, as you lift shoulder blades off the floor. (Be careful not to strain or pull on your neck.)
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As you straighten left leg out at about a 45-degree angle, turn your upper body to the right, bringing left elbow toward right knee. (Make sure the movement comes from your rib cage, not just your elbows.)
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Return to center, with both knees bent and elbows wide.
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Repeat on the other side: Straighten right leg to a 45-degree angle and turn your upper body to the left, bringing right elbow toward left knee.
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Return to the starting position to complete 1 rep.
Lower-Abs Leg Lifts
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Sit in your office chair with good posture. Keep your back straight, your chest out and shoulders down. Bend your knees to a 90-degree angle under the desk. (Harder version: Straighten your right leg out in front of you and tighten the quadriceps muscle)
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Raise the foot off the floor approximately 8 to 12 inches. Lower your right foot back to the floor and repeat 15 to 20 times. Remember to exercise both legs. In addition, keep your hips level throughout the entire exercise.
Tricep Stretches
This move work the large muscles at the back of your upper arms used for elbow extension and to stabilize the shoulder. They’re one of the most important muscles for developing upper body strength and triceps stretches increase flexibility and can help prevent injuries.
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Lift your shoulders up toward your ears and then draw them down and back.
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Extend your right arm to the ceiling, then bend at the elbow to bring the right palm toward the center of your back, resting your middle finger along your spine.
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Use your left hand to gently push your elbow in toward the center and down.
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Hold this stretch 30 seconds for three to four repetitions on each side.
Shoulder Rolls
Shoulder rolls are the perfect exercise for removing accumulated stress and tension in the shoulders and improving the circulation in those joints. This exercise warms up and stretches the muscles, tendons, and joints and helps reduce pain and stiffness in the shoulder area.
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Stand straight with your arms by your sides and with your feet shoulder-width apart.
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Slowly rotate your shoulders forward, making big circles.
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Repeat the movement backward until the set is complete.
