After 9 hours at the office, 2 hours on the commute, 2 hours eating, hopefully 7-8 hours sleeping, 2 hours doing errands and the other miscellaneous things that we all do each day, that leaves 2 hours to spend with family, relax, and stay fit. However, keeping a healthy looking physique does not have to mean hours at the gym each day. A trip to the gym is always a good thing, but when you can’t make it, adapting your lifestyle to include some flashes of fitness throughout the day can help you find time to do the other things that you enjoy and keep your muscles in motion.

The cliché two:

• Take the stairs. You hear it all of the time, but taking the stairs will not only help to burn a few calories, it works muscles that are not normally used when simply walking flat ground. Think about it, people actually pay to go to the gym to use the stair-stepper, why not utilize what you can for free in your office or apartment building!
• Laugh often. Laughter burns calories. It works your abs. It works facial muscles. Back muscles. It’s good for your heart. It’s healthy for your body and for your mind. And, hey, it’s just fun to do!

An (Almost) Complete Office Workout:

• Tricep dips in the office. I find especially when I am getting a little antsy that tricep dips do the trick. If you have an office where people cannot see you this works perfectly, but even if people can see you, try this anyway: with legs straight out in front and feet on the floor, hands behind you on the edge of a sturdy chair or desk, dip your body down so that your elbows flex at a ninety degree angle and lift back up to a point when your arms are straightened. Try doing a few repetitions of this. Your arms will tone up and it will burn a little of that pent-up office energy.
• Work your abs. Even in the confines of an office you can tone your abs. Simply lift your feet off of the floor with knees bent at approximately one hundred and thirty degrees, pull your legs up and towards you and then down again. Office crunches are also a nice way to burn some energy and abs can be worked all day everyday without feeling much fatigue. Tighten that tummy right in your office chair.
• Fidget. All too often I get told to stop bobbing my leg up and down (working the calves and quads!) or am told to sit still, but fidgeting around (as long as you don’t annoy too many people) is a great way to burn a little extra energy and some calories while you are at it.
• If you are at a job that you stand for portions of the day, or even if you don’t, taking a moment to do standing toe raises is a great way to work your calve muscles and it gets some circulation going in your legs.
• To work the always-troublesome gluteal muscles and strive for buns of steel, just sit and squeeze. It is amazing how many reps of “butt-squeezes” you can do in a day at the office. (And this is one workout that can be kept your little secret.)
• Practice deep breathing. This will provide a sense of calm and balance to your day no matter how hectic things seem to get. It is healthy for your body and for your mind.

This is not a workout program that is guaranteed to make you lose ten to fifteen pounds in a specific amount of time, but if integrated into your daily routine, your body and mind will be happier and healthier. Never underestimate the little things. They often lead to big change. So, forget the elevator, start those butt-squeezes, and laugh it all off. The sunny side of life might just seem a little brighter.