Quick Workout: Five-Minute Fitness

Challenge a co-worker to a speed-walking contest in the parking lot (you may want to switch to flat shoes). Take the stairs down to the lot and see who can walk the perimeter the fastest without actually running. Not only is this good exercise but it is good for a few laughs as well.

Invest in a set of dumbbells to keep at the office. A set with five weights ranging from three to ten pounds is fairly inexpensive and typically comes with its own storage rack. Do some strength building exercises for the arms and back or, if you have a lot of angry energy to work out, use the heaviest weight and do as many bicep curls as possible until your energy wears out. You may not be able to perform more than one or two correctly but it might prevent you from snapping at an unfortunate co-worker.

Take some time out to do stretching. Stretches are a tremendous tool to use against tension and stiffness in the joint and can help you break through the mid-afternoon slump in your energy. If you keep a yoga mat in your office, use that to perform some of the prone stretches (with your door closed!).

Make full use of your office by turning the very walls you’re your own workout equipment: stand about eighteen inches away from the wall or door, place your hands on the surface at about shoulder height, and do vertical push-ups. Challenge yourself by moving farther away or changing the position of your hands on the wall. You may even want to try doing one-handed push-ups vertically – it can be a great introduction to doing the real thing.

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