23 ways you can burn calories while working at the office

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Keeping up a healthy lifestyle involves more than just what you do after work. I've discovered that trying to get more exercise in the workplace can really improve both my productivity and health.

Since most workdays are spent at a desk, coming up with innovative ways to burn calories while working is essential...and difficult at the same time.

To make it easier, here is a list of the things you can do to stay active and get the most out of your day.

Key takeaways:

Take brief breaks to move around rather than sit still for extended periods of time. Every hour, spend a few minutes moving around the office while standing up and stretching.

Simple workouts like lunges, squats, and calf lifts can easily be done right next to your desk. You can increase your heart rate and burn more calories throughout the day by making even little movements.

To cut down on extended sitting, think about investing in a good standing desk. When working, standing uses more muscles and burns more calories than sitting does. To develop tolerance, progressively increase the amount of time you spend standing every day.

You can also switch between standing and sitting to prevent becoming tired and keep your productivity high.

If you prefer an Australian manufacturer of quality desk accessories, then UpDown and Desky would be the ideal starting point.

Include low-key workouts that you may perform covertly at your desk. For example, sit up straight and flex your abdominal muscles for a few seconds at a time to activate your core muscles. Shoulder rolls, arm stretches, and leg lifts are more ways to keep your body moving without interfering with your work.

Whenever feasible, choose to use the stairs rather than the lift. One of the best ways to burn calories and strengthen your heart is to climb stairs. Raise your game by going faster during your workouts or by climbing the stairs more than once a day.

Use a hands-free gadget and move around the room while on the phone to avoid sitting through long conversations. In addition to burning calories, walking meetings improve concentration and foster creativity.

Especially for one-on-one meetings or brainstorming sessions, ask colleagues to join you for a walking conversation. You can also get under-desk treadmills to walk while at your standing desk.

Make use of your lunch break to work out. Go for a jog, a quick stroll outside, or a nearby exercise class. Eating consciously and bringing a nutritious lunch can also help with calorie control and general well-being.

For easy and efficient strength training workouts, keep resistance bands near your desk. Use resistance bands for exercises like shoulder presses, chest presses, and bicep curls to increase muscle and burn calories. Exercises with resistance bands can be customised to your fitness level and are low-impact.

Using an exercise ball instead of a good desk chair forces you to use your core muscles while working, which improves posture and burns extra calories all day. Because of the ball's minor instability, small modifications are necessary to maintain muscle activation even when sitting for extended periods of time.

Opting for an active mode of transportation, like biking or walking, not only lowers carbon emissions but also gives you a head start on burning calories in the morning. This cardiovascular workout integrates physical activity into your regular routine and increases energy and metabolism.

To build stronger lower body muscles and burn calories, sneak in subtle leg exercises under your desk, such as leg lifts and seat marching. You can increase circulation and counteract the effects of extended sitting by doing these easy motions throughout the day.

Calorie control and general health can benefit from thoughtful snack and portion selection. Choose nutrient-dense snacks to feed your body during the workday, such as nuts, fruits, and yoghurt. This will help you prevent mindless overeating.

Getting enough water to drink improves metabolism, controls hunger, and promotes general health. As a reminder to stay hydrated, keep a water bottle at your desk and take quick pauses throughout the day to replenish it.

Compared to ergonomic office chairs, using a kneeling chair encourages improved posture and activates the core muscles, which increases calorie expenditure. Because of its ergonomic form, sitting upright is encouraged, which relieves pressure on the spine and promotes dynamic sitting.

Choosing to use the stairs rather than the elevator is a straightforward but efficient method of adding exercise to your everyday schedule. With each step, climbing stairs works the main muscle groups, burns calories, and strengthens the heart.

Set up recurring reminders to take quick breaks to move during the day. Every hour, take a few minutes to get up, stretch, and move around to break up extended periods of sitting and to reenergize your body and mind.

To lower cortisol levels and prevent stress-related weight gain, use stress-reduction strategies, including deep breathing, mindfulness, or quick meditation sessions. To encourage a healthy work-life balance, prioritise your duties, make reasonable goals, and take care of yourself.

By adding extra steps to your daily routine, parking further away from the workplace entrance stimulates accidental physical activity. Accept the chance to walk to and from your car as an easy method to burn more calories and promote general health.

Tracking your daily activity levels with a fitness watch motivates you to be active throughout the day and offers insightful information on how many calories you burn. To keep yourself motivated and accountable, set action objectives and monitor your progress.

Proper posture when sitting or standing helps to burn more calories and lowers the risk of musculoskeletal problems. It also uses the core muscles. Throughout the workday, pay attention to keeping your hips, shoulders, and spine in alignment for ideal posture.

Take advantage of the chance to speak with coworkers face-to-face rather than over the phone or via email. In addition to promoting social interaction, walking to their desk adds extra steps to your day and breaks up sedentary behaviour.

To increase strength and burn calories, include bodyweight workouts like desk pushups and lunges in your daily office routine. For increased convenience, you can include these workouts in your desktop setting or perform them discretely during brief pauses.

While taking calls outside, take a quick stroll to increase productivity and burn calories. Take advantage of the sunshine and fresh air while having fruitful conversations-this is the best kind of multitasking.

Chair dips are an effective exercise for working the triceps. Sit on the edge of a stable chair, hands next to your hips. Move your hips forward off the seat with your legs extended, supporting your weight on your hands. Lower your body by bending your elbows, then press back up. Keep your movements controlled and focused.

There are several advantages to being active at work for your physical and emotional health:

For those who want to control their weight or get healthier overall, keeping track of their calorie progress at work can be helpful. Here are a few efficient methods for monitoring your calories while working:

To covertly burn calories, perform leg lifts or calf raises while seated. By doing these on a regular basis, you can increase your total caloric expenditure.

Include sitting bicycles or step exercises at your desk. To engage muscles, use resistance bands for squats or arm stretches during brief rests.

You can burn about fifty more calories an hour standing than sitting. Purchasing a standing desk may increase the number of calories you burn each day.

To gradually boost your calorie burn, use the stairs rather than the elevator, go to the toilet farther away from your desk, and choose to have walking meetings.

Indeed, engaging in activities like standing up and fidgeting from time to time can burn extra calories without taking away from your productivity.

Make it a habit to move around the workplace at least once every hour, choose healthy snacks, and maintain continuous hydration-all of which can help speed up metabolism.