Vintage “Office Exercising” picture from Cosmopolitan
Last week, I asked some of my Facebook friends to let me know if there was anything in particular that they would like to read about this month on Foodie City Mom. I received several great responses and plan on addressing as many of them as possible. (If there are any recipes, NYC, or family topics that you’d like to see covered here, definitely let me know. You can either leave me a comment or send me an email at kcoleman@foodiecitymom.com. Thanks!)
One reader/friend (who works in an office all day) wanted to learn about exercises you can do at your desk to stay fit. Fortunately, the Editorial Director and fitness expert at LIVESTRONG.COM, Adam Bornstein, was willing to share some overall work fitness tips. (For specific exercise tips, you can also read the “Exercise Tips for the Office” article at fitwoman.com.) I was just happy to note that smiling and sleep were included in Mr. Bornstein’s tips. Enjoy!
At Work & Fit – Tips from Adam Bornstein, LIVESTRONG.COM’s Editorial Director
On the way to work:
- Park far away. Sure, the closer parking spot will make it look like you got to work early. But the extra mileage has a bigger impact than you think. Your N.E.A.T (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) can actually help you burn more calories than your workout at the gym. So walk further, take the stairs, and just make sure you move. The caloric burn will surprise you.
*For city dwellers who use mass transit, I (Kimberly) suggest that you get off from the subway or bus a stop (or two!) earlier in order to get the same activity*
At work:
- Get up from your desk at least three times during the day and take a 10-minute walk. The results might surprise you. Researchers from Japan found that three, 10-minute bouts of activity burn more fat the traditional 30 minutes of consecutive activity. And it’s your constant sitting that causes tight muscles and slowed metabolism.
- Smile. Yep, that’s it. Your mood can impact your fitness and your stress levels. And research shows the more you smile at work, the more you decrease stress, which will help you sleep. And a study in the American Journal of Nutrition found that sleep 7 to 9 hours can help you eat 300 less calories during the day.
Lunch Break:
- Eat during your break and exercise during lunch. The most common fitness complaint is that you don’t have time. Well, you do have an hour lunch, which is more than enough time to train, shower, and be back at your desk in time for you 1 pm meeting. Keep your workout short by focusing on only 30-60 second rest periods. The added benefit: You’ll burn extra fat.
In the afternoon:
- Visit the water cooler—and not the vending machine. According the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, beverages now account for more than 50 percent of the calories that you consume outside of your main meals. And the drinking usually occurs during work. To cut down on the empty calories, opt for water, tea, or calorie-free beverages.
- Snack smarter. Turns out, lots of small meals aren’t great for the work day. In fact, the average size of snacks has increased more than 200 calories in the last 30 years, say researchers from Purdue. Your solution? Preparing meals that keep you more full so you snack less often. To keep you satisfied and lean, try loading up on high protein sources like deli meats, hard boiled eggs, and tuna or sticking with vegetables, which don’t pack many calories.
- Use your body. You don’t need weight to get the type of exercise that can benefit you at the gym. After all, the biggest problems of a desk job are tight hip flexors, hamstrings, quadriceps and shoulders—all of which cause back pain. Using your body alone will help relieve all of of those tight areas, sans dumbbells.
{Post image courtesy of libertygrace0}