The hustle and bustle of fast-paced environment with the comfort of a 9-5 job can sure seem charming but it comes with its own cons. When leading a sedentary lifestyle, it can be difficult to keep your health in check, but it’s not impossible! Is desk arrest affecting your health, causing you to gain weight? With some easy lifestyle changes and exercises, you can change this! Here are 12 easy ways to lose weight at workplace.
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Lifestyle Changes
Making a lifestyle change requires time, support and discipline. This change requires you to get out of your mundane routines and make a schedule that fits in perfectly with your work life. Start off with these simple tips and see the transformation.
Eat a Big Healthy Breakfast
Having a slice of bread in the morning or having small quantity of food in a hurry does not count as breakfast. Having breakfast as soon as you wake up helps activate your metabolism. It is one of the most important meals of the day and should not be ignored. Having a big breakfast in the morning not only ensures good health, but also makes sure you do not binge on unhealthy snacks throughout the day.
Don’t Eat at Your Desk
Eating while working at your desk, your mind is not completely focused on what you are eating and how much you are eating. This can lead to increased consumption of calories. Break away from your desk during meal time even if it is for a short period of time. Also, eating at your desk means spending more time being inactive, that could lead to ill-effects of sedentary lifestyle.
Take the Stairs
As comfortable and convenient elevators can be, it’s always a good option to take the stairs for a healthier lifestyle change. Climbing stairs not only burns more calories than jogging, but also helps keep your weight in control and build tone muscles. Taking the stairs is also good for cardiovascular health and lungs.
Find a Diet Partner
A little motivation and support can go a long way when you are trying to lose weight. Following a diet plan and making changes to your everyday eating habits can seem intimidating but have a diet buddy can make all the difference. With a bit of encouragement from your partner and healthy eating habits, you can make a change in your lifestyle.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
If you are an office goer whose best friend is a caffeinated drink, then you need to pay more attention to this point. Water plays an important role in weight loss as it is not only required to burn fats, but it also can reduce overall intake of fluids that are loaded with sugars or caffeine. Drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water in a day not only helps burn calories, but also keeps unnecessary hunger pangs away. Try fruit & herb infused water for a delicious twist on hydration.
Fill Your Drawer with Healthy Snacks
When you spend most of your time at work in front of the computer, you are bound to snack. Unhealthy snacking can add on extra calories without giving you the fulfilment of a meal. Healthy snacks such as hummus and veggies, roasted nuts & seeds or energy bars are not only tasty but are the best way to keep your calories under control.
Exercises
These are some quick exercises you can sneak in to your working hours when you have time to spare. We recommend that you do not practice this during an important meeting.
Chair Squats
Step 1: Stand a few inches away from your chair and keep your feet hip width apart
Step 2: Hold out your arms and slowly bend your knees
Step 3: Make sure your hindquarters is pushed backward, as if you are about to be seated
Step 4: Keep your weight on the heels. As soon as you graze the chair seat, get back up
Step 5: Repeat this for at least one set of 15 reps
Sitting Ab Twist
Step 1: Seat yourself on the edge of your seat and keep your back straight
Step 2: Hold a bottle with both your hands close to your chest
Step 3: Twist your body, waist up, to the right without moving the chair and hold for 5 seconds
Step 4: Repeat the same on your left side
Step 5: Repeat it five to six times at a stretch
Neck Exercises
Step 1: Seat yourself comfortably with shoulders relaxed
Step 2: Bend your neck towards your right shoulder and hold the position for 5 seconds
Step 3: Repeat the same on your left side
Step 4: Look up and hold the position for 5 seconds
Step 5: Repeat the same while looking down
Step 6: Repeat at least six to eight times
Seated Reverse Crunch
Step 1: Position yourself further than the backrest of the chair and keep your back straight
Step 2: Place your hands on the armrest and put your knees together
Step 3: Slowly lift them up from the ground and bring them closer to your chest
Step 4: Hold for a bit and bring them down
Step 5: Repeat this for at least one set of 10 reps
Desk Pushup
Step 1: Stand up and position yourself a few feet away from the desk
Step 2: Keep your feet close and put your palms on the edge of your desk
Step 3: Push yourself towards the edge of your desk and pull yourself back to the starting position
Step 4: Repeat this for at least one set of 10 reps
Walk, Walk, Walk!
Don’t have time for exercise at work? No problem! Set a timer on your phone for every 30 minutes and go for a brisk 2-3-minute walk. This will get your required number of steps in a day but also ensure that your body does not go into inactive mode. Taking brisk walks around your office building will also make sure your metabolism does not slow down – one of the leading causes of weight gain.
