Easy Fitness Hacks for Your Work Day

Sometimes trying to stay on track during a day in the office can feel like navigating through a minefield. When the biscuit tin has made a few too many stops at your desk and a long day staring at your computer has left you feeling tired and stressed, it’s hardly surprising that you’re lacking the motivation to head to the gym. To make things a little bit easier, these fitness hacks can be easily incorporated into your day and will have you looking better, feeling better and boost your productively in no time. Keeping fit has never been easier!

Just Keep Moving

Slumping over your laptop for hours on end is a recipe for bleary eyes, back pain and sleepiness. To avoid feeling stiff and sluggish, make sure to move your body at least once every hour. Add little bits of movement into your day at every opportunity - take the stairs not the lift, complete some calf raises whilst waiting for the printer, take a walk to the kitchen to make a cup of matcha or jump off the tube a stop early and walk in on a nice day. They might seem like simple tasks, but together they will make quite the difference. 

Rope in Your Colleagues for a Workout

There’s nothing more motivating than having a friend there to work out with you, so rope in a colleague or two for an extra boost. Meet them at the gym before work, or organise an office run club or sports match after work. The chatter will provide distraction from the pain and will make the idea of exercising that little bit more tempting. Going alone? Pack your kit and head to the gym straight from work, you’ll forgo the temptation to collapse on the sofa and never get up!

Optimise Your Lunch Break

Instead of wolfing down your lunch at your desk whilst you scroll your Facebook feed, make the most of your lunch hour and squeeze in a 30-minute express class at a nearby studio instead. You’ll be back in the office in no time feeling revitalised and ready to tackle the afternoon head on. Does getting sweaty in a hurry sound more stressful than stress relieving? Swap a high intensity class for a 20-minute walk outside. It’s amazing how much more relaxed you’ll feel by taking some time to move in the fresh air. 

Stretch at Your Desk

Stuck at your desk with a deadline looming? Even a quick stretch at your desk will help to loosen up your muscles and give your concentration a boost. Stretch out any soreness in your back, neck and legs and the weight on your shoulders will suddenly feel much lighter. Your colleagues might look a little perplexed, but you’ll be the one laughing when they are struggling with aching muscles. 

Keep Healthy Snacks in Your Desk

Although not technically a fitness hack, filling yourself up on processed foods will leave you with low energy and little motivation to run home from work or hit the gym. Keep snacks such as homemade protein balls, fresh fruit and nuts in your desk drawer for when the 4pm munchies strike. You’ll be much more likely to get to that class after work, and you’ll probably have had more success at emptying your mounting inbox too! Try our easy energy ball recipes.

This blog was written by Kathryn Armitage. Kathryn: the creator of lifestyle blog, A Healthy Wanderlust. Covering everything from culture and society to health and travel, check out her blog for a lot of seriously good food, opinionated rants and plans for world adventures. You can also find Kathryn on Instagram and Twitter.