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2.23.16

resistance bands

We aren’t going to sugarcoat it, dedication to a fit body is a full time job – and fitting in daily workouts can be a challenge if you have a typical 9-to-5 job. Those of us who manage to stay in shape while sitting at an office desk every day know exactly how it is. Whether it’s hovering chair squats, actively engaging our core from our desks, or sacrificing our lunch break to squeeze in a sweat session – we get those workouts in daily, in whatever way we can!

Our ladies at Our Body Book and The Resource Girls are no strangers to the same struggle, and rather than working around the office, they’ve dug straight through and developed 4 simple resistance band exercises you can do right from our desks. Whether at home or at work, with coffee in one hand, band in the other, stop the excuses and get moving with these easy resistance band exercises. 

Let’s talk resolutions. It’s already nearing the end of February and while it’s easy to get down on yourself for letting them slide, not making time to conquer them or just not knowing where to start. We’re here to say no more! We all lead different lives and have our own struggles.

We have office jobs and are here to say the nine-to-five work struggle is real. We are all about maximizing our time – they don’t call us Resource Girls for nothing! One way to do this is to incorporate exercise into your everyday life. We both have gym memberships and exercise several times a week, however, sometimes getting to the gym just isn’t an option. This is when we have to get creative.

There are some more common ways to get a little exercise at work, for example taking the stairs. If you work in a hospital, like Cat, this is an awesome place to take your lunch break – climbing hundreds of stairs! Lauren works in a great downtown area where she can take walks outside during lunch, weather permitting. Another idea is to substitute the typical rolling office chair for a stability ball; this will work your core while you’re typing away at your desk.

However, we decided to get a little more creative and bring resistance bands to the office. How often have you been on a terrible conference call, sitting at your desk, tapping your pen against your leg wondering when it will all end? We have a suggestion: Grab a resistance band and maximize the time!

Resistance bands are awesome anywhere – home, office, gym, you name it. They come in different sizes, offering different amounts of resistance. Cat is using an extra small band in the pictures, she is 5’ 5” and for some of the exercises had to wrap it around twice. The resistance on this band went up to twenty-five pounds.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to the amount of exercises you can do with these bands. Maybe the point isn’t about resistance bands but about working with what you have, making the most of every day, and being the best version of you. Get ‘em girl!

4RESISTANCE BAND EXERCISES for the office

Inner Thighs

Secure the band to the leg of your desk or the chair, then step in the band. Rotate sides with one leg sweeping in front of the other to work inner thighs.

Calves

You can also step inside the resistance band so it’s wrapped around both legs and pull legs outward – place band around calves or up higher around thighs to work different muscles.

Biceps

Bicep curls! This is a no brainer! Simply step on the band, keep elbow in towards your ribs extend arm up and down.

Back

If you have to be sitting at your desk or want to work your back, you can put both arms inside the band, similar to how you did with your legs. Sit straight up and pull back against the band while squeezing your shoulder blades together.

For more tips on staying healthy in the office, visit Our Body Book, here!

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