"Drop a dress at your desk" - yeah, right!

Found this article the other day. It has a few suggestions on how to do exercise whilst sitting at a desk.

Seeing as I haven't made it to the gym this year (I'll use my sore foot as an excuse!), maybe these tips will help me stay in shape. Well... you decide if they're useful or not.

Deskercise!

A lunchtime workout is the perfect way to lose weight without losing your precious free time. If you don’t have time to make it to the gym in your break, gather a few colleagues and try these “deskercises”, devised by personal trainer, diet coach and fitness expert Kate McCracken.

1 Sculpted Shoulders with Overhead Press: Sitting on your chair, hold a full ream of printer paper with both hands. With elbows bent, extend arms overhead, then lower to shoulder height. Repeat 10-20 times. Try not to swing your arms above your head as this will cause your back to arch. Keep them slightly forward (of your head) on extension and don’t lock out the elbows completely – and keep them slightly bent at all times. As you get stronger, try adding another ream of paper.

2 Buff Bicep Curls: For this exercise, you’ll need two full 600ml water bottles. Sit on the edge of a chair with abs contracted and spine straight. Curl the bottles up towards shoulder height and slowly lower down. Repeat 10-20 times. Keep the elbows close to your sides/hips and control the upward and downward motion. Go slow!

3 Abs-Seating: Sit on the edge of a chair with arms extending in front. Keep your back straight, contract your abs and slowly lower your torso towards the back of the chair, making sure to keep your back straight and abs tight. Hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat three times. If you find this challenging, start with your arms crossed against your chest until you build up enough core strength to extend them.

4 Terrific Tricep Dips: Sit upright on a chair and place your hands on the seat, hip-width apart, with fingers pointing forward. Place yourfeet firmly on the floor. Slide glutes (butt muscles) off the chair with elbows slightly bent. Lower body by bending at 90-degree angles. Return to the start position and do about 10-15 repetitions.

5 Challenging Chair Squat: Sitting on your chair, clench your butt cheeks together. Lift your bum off the seat and hover in a squat position for around 10-15 seconds, then stand up. Repeat 2-3 times. For buns o’ steel, keep your butt cheeks clenched throughout!

Zero-kJ energy boosts

Suffering from the four o’clock slump? Before you make the four-metre walk to the office snack table, ask yourself if hunger is the real reason you’ve hit a wall. If not, try one of these guilt-free energising tricks to curb your cravings.

“I can’t concentrate”Take a walk outside in the fresh air for 10 minutes to clear your head. If you do this whenever your concentration wanes, your brain will eventually associate your desk with only work, which should help to improve your focus in the long run.

“I’m stressed!”Take a deep breath – it really helps. First, exhale deeply through your mouth while tightening your abdominal muscles and gently leaning forward. At the end of the breath, relax your abs and gently inhale through your nose as you sit back up. Repeat up to 10 times.
“I’m dead-tired”To help recharge your batteries, why not try these energising yoga moves?

1 Interlock your fingers and extend your arms outward in front of your shoulders, your palms facing forward. Slowly raise your hands overhead, stretching from the waist. Hold for 30 seconds. Relax.

2 Sit on a chair with your legs just wider than hip-width apart. Bend forward, drop your head and relax your neck. Focus on relaxing with each exhalation and sit up on the fourth inhalation.

“I’ve got a headache”Before you reach for the painkillers, drink a big glass of water. Office air-conditioning saps your body of moisture so this could be your body’s way of telling you to rehydrate. If your headache is due to tension, try gently massaging your temples with your middle fingers.

Source: http://www.cleo.com.au/drop_a_dress_at_your_desk.htm?page=1