Staying Fit At Your Workspace

It’s no secret that the sedentary lifestyle associated with sitting at a desk job from 9 – 5 can have negative effects on your health. Unfortunately, for most office employees this is the reality of their day. Enter the Coworking community! Workspaces have found solutions for socializing, dining and unwinding and now many are incorporating fitness opportunities in their amenities packages to boost member offerings.

If staying fit is essential to you, these Coworking spaces may be a good fit for you:

• Shift Workspaces in Denver includes access to their own yoga room, fitness classes and personal training while Brooklyn Boulders has a famous rock wall for use by workers in each of its multiple locations.
• Primary in New York’s Financial District promotes a balanced lifestyle with wellness classes every week and healthy snack options.
• For lighter ways to stay active, LAX Coworking in Los Angeles offers ping pong and CoLab in Tallahassee has a space for Wii lovers.
• As an alternative, some spaces have committed to giving their members access to local gym with their monthly fees. CityCoHO’s amenities list in Philadelphia includes a discounted membership to all Sweat Fitness locations and the Mesa Coworking Space in San Diego is attached to and offers full access to the Mesa Rim Climbing & Fitness Center.

Don’t have immediate access to these fitness options? We’ve compiled a few easy, sweat-free exercises to do while sitting at your desk.

‘The Swivel’

A standard office chair is all you need for an easy oblique workout. Sit toward the edge of your chair, back straight and feet planted firmly on the ground. Twist knees and torso in opposite directions.

‘Calf Raises’

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, press up onto your toes, pause at the top, then lower your heels without touching them to the ground. This is a good exercise for when you’re printing, scanning or talking on the phone. Think this is too easy? Try it standing on only one leg at a time.

‘Water Bottle Weights’

Use full water bottles for arm exercises. For front raises, hold hands straight down beside your legs then slowly raise both arms together to shoulder height. Lower and repeat. The slower the motion, the more difficult the exercise. Bicep curls are done with arms held at the waist at a 90 degree angle, palms up. Slowly lift until weights touch the shoulder, lower to 90 degrees and repeat.

‘Wanderer’

Get up throughout the day and walk around. Instead of yelling to someone four desks down, stand up and walk there. Are there two restrooms in the office? Go to the one farther away. Even short walks around the office will reinvigorate you for the rest of the workday ahead.