This year’s COVID-19 pandemic reminded everyone of the importance of maintaining health and wellness. By taking better care of their bodies, people can boost their immune system, promoting an overall healthier life. Working out boosts endorphins in the brain and helps people not only physically, but mentally.
Despite the pandemic and the gym closures that ensued due to the quarantine, physical fitness has persevered. Individuals are finding new, unique ways to maintain their health—which is extremely important during this time., Muscular Moving Men, created a warehouse gym where I work with our mover athletes to train them in preparation for heavy moves.
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People have begun to work virtually, turning their homes into offices. This provides people with more chances to get up and get moving throughout the workday. Whether an individual is working remotely or not, it is easy to incorporate workouts at/near their desk.
Here are a few different exercises that you can do at your desk to keep you moving throughout the workday:
Seated shoulder presses – I highly recommend getting a set of dumbbells that you could keep at your desk, to promote muscle growth. However, if those are not available to you, try grabbing a heavier item, such as a paperweight or book, to use for your seated should presses. I recommend three sets of 12 reps, completed all together or at various stopping points in your day.
Bicep curls – Again, you can either use a desk set of dumbbells or other heavier desk items to complete bicep curls at your desk. I recommend three sets of 12 reps, completed all together or at various stopping points in your day.
Standing lunges – It’s important to get the blood flowing to your legs after sitting down all day. Find time when you need a tiny break to stand up and work on some standing lunges. I recommend three sets of 12 reps per leg, completed all together or at various stopping points in your day.
Hip thrusts – If you have a stable chair or couch available to you, you can lean against the seat to perform hip thrusts. These can be done with or without a resistance band. I recommend three sets of 30 reps, completed all together or at various stopping points in your day.
Go on a walk around the office/outside – To get your heart rate up, you can get cardio in throughout your day by getting up for walks. I recommend going on a walk during the last five minutes of every hour that you work throughout the day.
Sit at a yoga ball at your desk! – If you can occasionally switch out your office chair with a yoga ball, it is a great way to promote movement throughout your workday. You can do great ab workouts on your yoga ball including crunches and side crunches.
Those workouts are a great start to get moving throughout your workday! When training the men at Muscular Moving Men, we review the importance of stretching before lifting heavy items to prevent injury. Therefore, I highly recommend stretching at the beginning and end of your workday if you are going to be working out throughout the day. These stretches can include touching your toes, seated twists and shoulder stretches.
Lex Hollenbeck is the personal trainer for Muscular Moving Men & Storage staff and partners. Hollenbeck is the owner of FFConditioning, a mobile personal training company in Scottsdale, and holds a master’s in science exercise and wellness from Arizona State University. In his time at ASU, Hollenbeck spent a year assisting with ASU athlete sports performance – training, programming and coaching D1 and Olympic athletes. Muscular Moving Men & Storage is a full-service moving and storage company established by Justin Hodge and Josh Jurhill on one simple philosophy: provide amazing moving service and great customer care at a competitive price. The energetic young company quickly rose to prominence thanks to its team of fit, friendly and efficient movers that work hard to treat every customer like a VIP. For more information, visit muscularmovingmen.com.
