Do you spend 8 hours or more sitting at a desk 5 days/week?

Do you experience eye strain and muscle soreness in your neck, shoulders, and back?

Are you fatigued, stressed, and need a break?

If you answered YES to one or more of  the above questions, this post is for YOU!

10 Quick and Simple Ways to Burn Calories at Your Desk

Quick Burst of Cardio:  Try jumping jacks or jumping rope for one minute each hour you are at work.

Use the Stairs:  Use the restroom or drinking fountain on a different floor and choose the stairs instead of the elevator.

Exercise Ball Chair:  Replace your desk chair with a Swiss stability ball and perform one minute of abdominal crunches each hour.

Office Yoga:  Interlace your fingers overhead, releasing your thumb and pointer finger.  Extend your arms straight with your bicep muscles by your ears.  Square your shoulders and hips.  Point your fingers up and slightly back.  Lean to one side, feeling the stretch on the opposite side.  Hold for 20 to 30 seconds.  Repeat stretch on the other side.

Chair Lunges:  Stand up and take one step away from your chair.  Bend your right knee and place the top of your right foot on the seat behind you.    Place your hands at your hips (or out to the side for increased stability) and lower to 90 degrees.  Pause for 1 to 2 seconds, and rise up.  Perform 10 to 15 repetitions and switch to left leg.  Perform this exercise with a stable desk chair.

Tricep Dips:  Place your palms on the edge of your chair.  Move your feet about 3 feet from your chair.  Place your butt in front of your chair (tailbone lightly touching edge of chair).  Starting with a slight bend at your elbow joint, lower to a 90 degree bend (or just prior)  and rise up.  Perform 10 to 15 repetitions.

Fidget:  Fidgeting keeps you moving and burning calories!  While seated at your desk, lift your heels about 1 inch off the floor and come up onto your toes.  Move faster or slower, or move one leg at time.  You may also invest in a fidget toy, such as a Koosh ball or Silly Putty – First, be sure it is boss and co-worker approved!

Desk Push-Ups:  Place your palms on the edge of your desk and walk your feet out until your body is in a diagonal, straight line – neutral neck position, hands directly under your shoulders, shoulders relaxed, and core musculature engaged.  Lower your chest, bending at your elbows and pause for 1 to 2 seconds.  Push up to starting position.  Perform 10 to 15 repetitions.

Engage Your Butt:  While seated at your desk, engage (contract) and disengage (relax) your gluteal muscles.  Contract, hold for 5 seconds, and release.  Repeat until exhaustion.

Wall Sits:  During your next break, locate stable, quality wall space.  Place your back against the wall with your feet shoulder width apart and about 1 to 2 feet from the wall.  Slowly lower, trying for a 90 degree bend at your knee joint.  Hold until exhaustion.  For beginners, hold this position for one minute and add a minute each week.

Reference:

Anytime Fitness (2012).  “9 Easy Ways To  Burn 100 Calories At Your Desk.” doi:  http://blog.anytimefitness.com/9-easy-ways-to-burn-100-calories-at-your-desk/ Accessed on February 3, 2014.