Exercise is an important aspect of health. It can help keep your weight under control, it can improve your flexibility, reduce your risk factors for chronic diseases and it can help improve your circulation. The bad news is you are falling into one of the most popular excuses not to exercise; you do not have time. But there is good news. You can get a total body workout right from the comfort of your office chair by following some key steps. A chair workout will give you physical benefits, and can also increase your brain power.
Step 1
Perform chair push-ups. Push-ups are a popular body weight exercise that works your chest, triceps, shoulders and core all at the same time. To do these, grab the sides of your office chair and place your body at an angle, with your arms straight. Lower yourself down to the chair until your lower chest is right above it. Push yourself back up and repeat. To make these more intense, alternate lifting each leg up in the air as you lower yourself down.
Step 2
Perform upright rows. Stand behind the chair and grab the bottom part of the upper rail with your hands about 4 inches apart. Lift it straight up in the air until it is at chest height, then lower it back down. When you are lifting it, keep it close to your body and act as if you are picking up a pail of water.
Step 3
Work your triceps with chair dips. Place your hands on the edge of the chair and extend your legs out in front of you. Bend your knees 90 degrees and lower your body down until your elbows are bent 90 degrees as well. Push yourself back up and repeat. If you have access to another chair, you can place your heels on it while you do these.
Step 4
Perform squats. Squats are a compound exercise that works your glutes, hamstrings and calves. To do these, stand in front of your chair in a shoulder-width stance. Slowly lower yourself down until your butt lightly touches the chair, then stand back up. When you are doing squats, do not let your knees go past your ankles.
Step 5
Do reverse crunches to work your abs. To do these, sit on the edge of your chair and brace yourself by grabbing the sides of it. Lean back slightly and extend your legs out in front of your body. Lift them off the floor and draw your knees in towards your chest. Extend them back out without letting them touch the floor and repeat.
Step 6
Put it all together. Do sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercise and do them in the order they appear. Perform one exercise every half hour from the time you get to work, until the time you leave.
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