You likely spend most of the daylight hours at the office, leaving little time to get in shape. Once you arrive home, you may have other priorities to tend to or may simply be too tired to hit the gym. But what about using work hours to build a little muscle? There are a number of ways you can tone up right at your desk.
Forearm clench
When you're sitting at your desk on the phone, where you have your hands free, work the muscles in your forearm by clenching and unclenching your hand. Yahoo even suggested investing in a stress ball to make this exercise even easier.
Transportation? More like exercise!
Give yourself a quick cardio workout by opting to park further away from the office than normal. Not only will it give you a breath of fresh air in the mornings, those extra calories will really start to add up. Even better, look into taking public transportation to and from the office. Walking to and from train or bus stations can add up quickly – if you walk a quarter of a mile to and from each transit station, that's a one-mile walk every day!
Bring the right lunch
What you eat during the day obviously has a large effect on your physique. You'll need to maintain a diet high in protein in order to promote muscle growth. Instead of going out for lunch during the day, try bringing a meal replacement shake like Naturade Total Soy All-Natural Original Powder. Available in both chocolate and vanilla, this is a tasty way to take a quick break at work and be building muscle at the same time. Total Soy protein meal replacement delivers 13 grams of protein as well as vitamins, minerals and fiber without all those added calories.
Tone your legs
Build your quads by sitting right at your desk! Bend your leg at the knee and bring your feet up so your legs are fully extended. Proceed by lowering them to the ground again in a controlled manner. See if you can grab some added weight to place on your legs, like a heavy book or ankle weights.
Work your abs
You don't need any fancy equipment to be on your way to getting a six pack. All you need is your chair. When sitting at your desk, ABC News recommended raising your feet a couple inches off the floor so your feet don't touch the ground. Hold that position for a few seconds, release and repeat.
Another great way to build some leg muscle would be to take a quick break and hit the stairs. Doing so a few times each day may help you to see a difference.
