The office workout

This is a bit embarassing, but I'm interested if anyone is as crazy as me

Like many people, I spend 8-9 hours a day in an office, sitting in a cubicle at a computer. It bugs me that I am so stationary all day so I have been coming up with an office workout of sorts (just make the day a bit more interesting).

Everytime I am in the bathroom I take a few extra minutes in the stall and do a set of 10-15 squats. I try to drink a lot of H20 during the day so this usually means about 5-8 sets a day!

When I'm done with squats, if I'm alone in the bathroom, I will do a set of 10-15 modifide pushups against the sink. I stand about 4 feet from the sink and put my hands on the counter, keeping my body straight. I do both regular pushups (elbows out) and triceps (elbows back).

When I am sitting at my computer I try to engage my abs as much as possible to support good posture.

Does anyone else have any crazy office fitness routines they can share? I'd love to start varying my workout a bit!

I have a Swiss Ball that I sit on instead of a chair.   Note: I had to get the biggest one they had even though I'm fairly short.  Needed the height so that I could still type at my desk without being too low. 

I also never use the elevator, and often go up or down a flight of stairs to use the bathroom instead of using the closer one. 

Those are really great ideas!  I bet all of those add up to a pretty great workout by the time you're ready to go home.  I'm definitely going to try the squats. 

It is too funny you do the squats and push-ups in the bathroom... I thought I was the only one!  I too sit at a computer for 8-12 hours a day.  I try to get up and move, even a little, every hour.  I do lunges while I wash my hands, I stretch (a lot) while on the phone, and do tricep dips on my chair (make sure it won't roll away).  Try one-legged squats (works core and legs) and plie squats for variation.  I would love to see what anyone else does.

Great thread.

Lol this seems odd to me. I sit around an office all day too, but then I hit the gym afterwards for about 60-90 minutes and I don't feel guilty about the sitting at all. Are the bathroom squats and pushups the only exercise your getting? I guess then it would make sense.

apointe - I have almost the same exact bathroom routine that you have!

I also try to get up a lot and walk around.  I'll walk to someone's office instead of sending an IM or email.  If I have a lot of documents to print, I'll print one, go to the printer to get it, then print the next and go to the printer, etc.

If I have the time on my lunch break I'll go to the mall or run errands to get off of my butt.

I'm interested in hearing what others do in the office to keep active(ish) too.

I do the stability ball as well - especially when on boring conference calls.  I got some core strengthening exercises from the trainer at the gym using the ball and try and do those for an hour or so a day.  I love the bathroom workout ideas!  I do stretching exercises as well using the wall or door frame to keep the less than perfect posture from causing sore neck/shoulders/numb fingers.  The ball has helped with posture too.

I work in a finance firm, 50 hours a week with no lunch break (we can't really leave while trading; we have big kitchens and they cater for us every day).  Even though I work out regularly after work, 10 hours a day is a LONG time to sit and do nothing!

I take breaks every hour(ish) to get water or walk around. 

I also do bathroom exercises - sometimes I even throw in jumping jacks or relevés (calf raises) when no one else is in there!

When sitting at my desk, I engage my abs and hold my feet off the ground, or even hold my legs straight out in front of me.  I feel it in my lower abs more that way, and it feels good on my quads. 

I also have one of those little stress balls - I squeeze it and it works out my hands and forearms.  It really gets the blood flowing!

I also use a Swiss Ball chair.  But I only use it for a couple hours per day.  I actually will roll down under my desk into a crunch position and roll back to a seated position throughout the day.

[double post]

These are great ideas guys, thanks! I especially like the idea of lunges and jumping jacks in the bathroom! We have offices on the 7th and 16th floors of our building and after karozel's post, I'm curious to see how sweaty I would get walking from one floor to the other!

Where do you get the Swiss balls? I have a pretty high desk (2.5 feet) ... do you think they would be large enough. That would definietly be fun!

trikki -- yes, I definietly think it is odd that I do these things too, but I don't really enjoy my job so this helps me let of some steam and be a little quirky (without anyone knowing!). I do workout outside of work, but this helps the time pass more quickly!

I keep a pair of tennis shoes in my office and try to "do the stairs" a coule of times a week.  I walk up and down ten flights of stairs.  Today I did 20 minutes and no one even noticed I was gone.  But you can also break it into a couple of 10 minute sessions...

I got mine at the local Fitness Depot.   Also our gym carries extra or will do an order a couple times a year.

You're not crazy. I walk on both of my 15 minute breaks. I stretch in the bathroom. I workout before work because I don't have the energy after. I drink water all day and skip the break room donut and cookie fest.  I take the long way around the building to get my mail and always take the stairs.

These are great!!!!!! Thanks for the ideas

Hey I do office "workouts" too! I also thought I was probably the only one  I do squats in the bathroom and take the stairs and I lift my legs under the table one at a time continuously through as much of the day as I can :) I also try to keep my abs flexed and sometimes I do butt clenches while sitting in my chair too hehe!

I also am lucky enough to have a job where I can listen to music through my headphones all day, so I do a lot of my exercises while in my chair in time to the music which is good! Having no shame, I also dance around a bit in my chair haha... Anything to keep moving!

Enjoy your office workouts peoples, I know I do!

I do most of the things that have been mentioned.  I work at my computer and teach lessons over a 10-hour period most days.  I also jump rope one-minute at a time, jump up and down 100 times when I feel tired or sleepy.  I would add toe touches and waist twists. 

It seems like you will have a balanced work out if you use some of the ideas people have given. 

I used to do pull ups and chin ups on the fire escape ladder which lead to the roof.  I also used to stack boxes of photocopier paper onto tabes, and perform dips.  I also used to escape into the store room and perform bicep curls straight into shoulder presses with water cooler bottles.  They were great as the water moving around in them would mess with my balance forcing me to use my core!

Hey thanks everyone. I would of never thought of any of those if I had not taken the moment to read your posts. I too work in an office and could use some pointers

I too work in an office and work-out in the bathroom, I had never thought of squats thanks for the idea.  I try to walk everywhere so I pretty much knock out my 10,000 steps just at work. 

It is great to know I am not the only one that views the work restroom as my own personal gym.

If only our Bosses knew that they gave a gym in the ladies room LOL