It is not easy to maintain fitness whilst at work slumped over your computer most of the day. We lead a sedentary work day and then commute home only to watch TV until bed time. This is not conducive to good health so here are a few tips for you to Prime your work day.

Top 7 Ways To Become Fitter Whilst at Work

(1) Move more during your working hours. You can do this easily from your work station by refilling your water bottle every hour from the water station furthest from you. If you are busy in your job then walk fast! Develop the habit of topping up every hour no matter what. If you do this small walk of say 100 meters every hour then by the end of the month you have walked around 16km. An added benefit is that you will also walk more to the toilet and back during the day! Use the stairs where ever possible.

(2) Hang out with health conscious friends and see what they are eating. When going out for lunch simply avoid the fries and ask for extra green vegetables instead. It is even possible at a buffet by eating the more expensive Primed items like Roast Beef, Seafoods, Lamb etc. and avoiding the cheaper (this is what the restaurants/hotels want you to fill up on) items like breads, pastas, noodles and rice dishes.

(3) Drink 5 cups of green tea a day (or Malunggay Tea) if you can. Green tea is loaded with anti-oxidants and nutrients that improve brain function and fight fats. You could also make a batch at work or home and leave it in the fridge for a refreshing iced green tea. Please see our Primed Lemon and Ginger Green Tea recipe. Plain water, coconut water and black coffee without sugar are good too. It is important to avoid sugary drinks as almost all packaged drinks contain too many highly refined and processed sugars that are not conducive to a healthy lifestyle.

(4) Use your muscles more often by lifting things. It is harder to achieve at work but definitely possible. Why not lift your desk? Plant both feet on the ground, cup your palms on the underside of your desk and push up. If your desk is heavy or stuck to the ground it will not move but it does not have to for you to get a massive benefit. It is called resistance weight training where you use your arm, back, leg and abdominal muscles in this exercise. Just start off with 3 repetitions at moderate effort every day for 5 seconds and graduate over time to doing it longer and more often.

(5) Get a stand up desk. Deep breathing exercises are extremely beneficial for your health and clarity of mind too. You will notice your stress levels decrease with some good quality deep breathing whilst at your stand up desk for as long as you can.

 

(6) Bring your own snacks and lunch if possible. Snacks need not be expensive. Examples include: a can of Century tuna with chopped pickles or cucumber mixed in; tuna and squash patties; barbeque chicken pieces with tomato; boiled eggs; nuts (not peanuts though) with dried fruits; bananas; apples; carrot sticks; banana pancakes. This will also stop you eating all the processed rubbish disguised as food in the vending machine and eating the wrong foods when afternoon snacks are available.

(7) Elastic band resistance exercises. You can buy them from amazon or even your local sports store. You simply connect it to your knees for example and then try to spread your knees as much as possible. Leather pants are optional. There are many other exercises you can do. It helps to keep a log of how many reps you do per day as it helps to motivate you to keep going and not quit.

Are there any other ways you can think off? Please share in our comments section. Cheers.