The office can be a place where fitness goals go to die. A place where you sit all day, staring at a computer screen while fighting bad posture. That birthday cake that some well-intentioned manager brought in for a coworker's birthday doesn't help. Or even worse, the fancy donuts that another coworker brought in "just because." Just because they wanted you to gain a few pounds?
Or the office could be a place to supplement your obstacle course race training. A place where instead of hurting your fitness, you’re keeping your workouts going all day to give a little extra attention to your core or to get your heart rate raised a few beats.
And dare I say it, the office might even be a place where you can lure a coworker or two to join you out on the race course, crawling through mud and jumping over fire. After all, that's not much different than dealing with upset clients or angry bosses, right?
If you’re lucky enough to have a gym at your workplace, this article isn’t for you. Plus, I’m kind of jealous. This article is for the people who don’t have a lot of extra time, but are willing to sneak in a few minutes of exercise here and there.
Some of these ideas are not new. Maybe a little obvious. However, I’m sure that whether you’re brand new to obstacle course racing or a seasoned veteran, if you go to work in an office, these are for you. Plus, they can be done without breaking a serious sweat that might draw unwanted attention in afternoon meetings.
I’ve divided fitness opportunities into options you can do by yourself and things you can do as a team, department, etc. Ready? Here goes!
| **Bonus points for carrying anything heavy around the office for your coworkers. This includes, but is not limited to, the water jug in the break room or office supply deliveries. |  |
You can also do exercises with a partner! I’m an introvert, but I’ll admit at times working out with someone is more fun. I’ve done a variety of monthly challenges with coworkers with great results.
The idea is that you start out with a low number of reps for an exercise and increase it every day for a month. This is perfect for push-ups, wall sits, planks, etc.
At my last office, we did monthly fitness challenges. Similar to the above, we started at a low number of reps and increased that number every workday.
Recommended exercises include planks, push-ups and wall sits, all exercises that everyone can do and do in dress or professional clothes.
At the end of the month, we had a contest to see who could do the most reps or hold the position for the longest (in the case of planks and wall sits). Management was even nice enough to give gift cards to the winners!
Those are a few of my favorite ways to stay fit and obstacle course ready at work. But don’t think you’re limited to just these things...take these ideas as inspiration and run with it! What are some tactics that you use to keep up with your fitness in the workplace?
LIVE FIERCE.
Bonus: Check Out These Simple Desk-side Stretches Published By Consumer Health Digest!
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