National Employee Health and Fitness Day is May 16. Celebrated the third Wednesday in May, National Employee Health and Fitness Day promotes the health benefits of staying active throughout the work day. Chad Stanton, exercise specialist from the Weight Loss & Wellness Center at Oklahoma Heart Institute, is sharing some ways you can be active and get your heart rate up during the work day.
Chad’s first round of tips focus on easier exercises. He recommends performing each exercise for 30 seconds, then resting for 30 seconds before moving on to the next set or exercise. Each exercise should be performed three times or you can go from beginning to end and repeat from the start in a circuit format.
1. March in place (one minute)
2. Office push-ups (30 seconds): Place your hands on the front part of your desk and take a few steps back. Lower your chest until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle and push yourself back up.
3. Ab twists in your chair: Scoot to the middle part of your chair and place your feet flat on the floor. Sit up tall and place your palms together at your chest with your elbows out to the sides. Twist to the right for 15 seconds then twist to the left for 15 seconds, making sure you rotate your shoulders.
4. Triceps dip on your desk: Sit on the corner of your desk with half of your bottom on the edge. Place your palms on the desk beside your hips with elbows slightly bent. Press your palms into the desk, slightly raising your bottom off of the desk.
5. Leg extensions: Sit up tall in your chair with your abs tight and feet flat on the floor. Extend your right or left leg out while targeting your quadriceps, then lower your feet back to the floor. Alternate legs.
The second round of tips focuses on more difficult exercises. Chad recommends performing each exercise for one minute before moving on to the next one. Repeat these exercise three times through with no rest between exercises and/or sets.
1. Jumping jacks
2. Full push-ups: Lay on the ground with your palms placed outside of your shoulders. Push yourself all the way up until your arms are almost fully extended. Do not lock your elbows. Lower yourself so that your chest is six to eight inches off of the floor and push yourself back up.
3. Crunches (30 seconds)
4. Leg lifts (30 seconds)
5. Squats: Standing with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart, sit backwards as if you were going to sit down and lower your bottom until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Keep your heels and toes in contact with the floor and stand back up.
6. Triceps dip off your desk: Sit on the corner of your desk with your palms placed on the desk beside your hips. Walk your legs out so that your heels are on the floor and your palms are on the desk. Lower your hips until your arms are bent and without putting too much pressure on your shoulders, press your palms into the desk raising your hips back to the starting position.
To learn more about the Weight Loss & Wellness Center, please visit oklahomaheart.com/wlwc or call 918-579-3444.