Hi Everyone!

Be honest. How many hours a day do you spend sitting?

With people saying, “sitting is the new smoking,” we have to take a stand and change this unhealthy habit!

Prolonged periods of immobility can be detrimental to our health. When slammed with work, however, it can be difficult to find that extra time to move our bodies. Thankfully, I’m here to save your work day with some creative ways to get your blood flowing. Best of all, these little activities are so simple that they’ll blend effortlessly into your daily routines.

Here are 12 ways to secretly work on your body while at work.

1. Ditch the elevator. Instead of taking a quick ride up to your desk, get your heart rate up by taking the stairs whenever possible.
2. Skip the email. What? Less emails? YES! Take a trip over to your co-worker’s desk to explain a task or idea. A little face time doesn’t hurt!
3. Squeeze. Yes, squeeze your muscles. Select a muscle group, squeeze and hold it for 10-15 seconds, then let the tension go. My favorite muscle group to squeeze is my inner thighs. I press my knees together, squeeze, and repeat up to 15 times.
4. Tap your toes. Get those twinkle toes moving under your desk. Have fun with this–two feet together, alternate left/right, quick taps and slow taps. You are a tap master. Make it even more fun and “draw” the whole alphabet with your legs.
5. Bathroom Jacks. No one in the bathroom with you? Great! Do 10 jumping jacks before walking back into the office.
6. Take your meeting on the road. No, really! Try to walk and talk with your coworkers. Take your next meeting outside. Not only will you get your blood flowing, but you will also get a healthy dose of vitamin D.
7. Tension be gone. Shrug your shoulders up to ears and release them. Add tension on the way up and release the tension on the way down.
8. Activate your core. Lean back in your chair at a 45 degree angle, engage your core, and lift both feet slightly off the floor.
9. Don’t sit, squat! Hover right over your chair so it looks like you are sitting. Joke’s on your coworkers! You are getting that extra burn without making a scene.
10. Hips don’t lie. Sitting for a long period of time can wear on your hips. A) Sit back in your chair B) Bring your right food over your left knee C) Place your left foot on the edge of your chair D) Lean your body weight into your left heel. Then, switch legs and repeat.
11. Get up, stand up! I challenge you: for every 30 minutes you are sitting, stand for 5! Whether you are walking around the office for 5 minutes, or just standing getting work done at your desk.
12. Stretch. Whenever you can, just stretch!

Long story short–keep your body moving ALL DAY LONG!

Follow me this week as I stop by a few offices in NYC and bring these tips to life.

Peace & Love,

Emily Burkhardt