We’ve rounded up the best exercise equipment to keep at the office, whether you work from home or a company. These tools will help you move more, stay fit, and get healthy during your busy workday.
These days, it’s more common to see people recognizing the benefits of an active lifestyle. Even employers are getting on board by urging employees to adopt a more active way of life. For instance, your employee wellness program might include perks like free access to local gyms, onsite yoga classes, or chair massages. But these programs are just a drop in the bucket when it comes to meeting the health needs of employees. Being active on an intermittent basis is not enough, nor is heading to the gym for a workout after a long day of sitting.
Having a sedentary workday can take a toll on your health. Studies find that sitting for several hours per day is linked to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This lack of mobility at work is making us sick. But there is something you can do to minimize the health risks of a sedentary work life.
If you’ve grown accustomed to sitting all day at work, you’ll want to create your own wellness routine. Find the tools and equipment you need to be active and create a mini-gym right in your office.
Whether your goal is to stay healthy while working from home or at your worksite, here is some of the exercise equipment to keep at the office.
Exercise Equipment to Keep at the Office
1. Mini Exercise ball
A mini exercise ball is probably one of the most flexibe exercise tools you can keep at the office. They range in size, but the one pictured below is 9 inches in diameter and comes in a variety of colors. It’s easy to inflate with a straw and can be quickly deflated to store inside a drawer after your workout.
These balls can help with core strength, balance, back rehabilitation. YOu can use them for toning and sculpting with Pilates, Yoga or other fitness exercises.
2. Small hand weights
Using small hand weights throughout the day is a great way to stay healthy and active while you work. Take a few minutes break and do some exercises or pump some iron during team meetings (with video off, of course). Or take them with you when you go outside for a walk These are a compact and convenint option to add to your desk exercise tools.
3. Resistance bands
You might think exercise equipment for the office will take up a lot of space, but it doesn’t have to. If you’r looking for small exercise equipment to keep at the office, look no further than resistance bands. These are a great compact addition to your office workout kit. They take up very little space, are portable and easy to use, and can be used for all types of upper and lower body exercises. Use them for activities like strength training, pilates, yoga, chair workouts and more.
4. Balance ball chair
Want to improve back health and core strength while you work? This balance ball chair helps you do that and more. It helps to build a healthier core, align the spine, and can help relieve back pain and stiffness. Sitting on one of these while you work will boost your energy levels and increase productivity with an active body and a focused and engaged mind. This ball chair fits most stand-height desks.
5. Under desk elliptical
Keeping an under desk elliptical in your office is a smart idea. These easy-to-use mini machines allow you to get a workout while you sit. They provide a lot of health-promoting benefits as they help you to remain active while you work and relieve stress, too.
6. Treadmill desk
Walking while you work is an easy way to avoid sitting all day. And a treadmill desk can help you to stay active while being productive on the job. This type of desk can help with other issues like alleviating back or neck pain, increasing energy, promoting a healthy weight, and other health benefits.
You can transition from your sit-stand desk to a treadmill desk during the workday. Use the treadmill desk while working on tasks like typing, reviewing emails, talking on the phone, attending video calls, and other work-related tasks. Unlike fitness treadmills, a treadmill desk is designed to be used for multiple hours per day at slow speeds.
7. Stability cushion
If you spend hours sitting at work, you may have found yourself slouched over your keyboard as you plow through your work assignments each day. You might even experience neck and back pain. A really useful piece of exercise equipment to keep at the office is stability cushion. Place one of these on top of your office chair at work can help ease discomfort and improve your posture.
The cusion encourages you to engage your abdominal and core strength to stay balanced as you work to help improve your posture. No more slouched shoulders.
8. Yoga mat
Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned yogi, a yoga mat is a necessity for your office workout. But yoga mats are not just for yogis. There are many exercises besides yoga that can be done with a yoga mat including pilates, push-ups, planks, stretching, and more.
9. Fitness activity tracker
Are you one of the millions of Americans using a fitness or activity tracker to monitor your health and fitness? These devices track everything including step count, sleep patterns, heart rate, blood pressure and more. Some also include alarms to remind the user to move, stretch, hydrate, or take an eye break throughout the day.
10. Under desk exercise bike pedal
An under desk exercise bike pedal gives you the ability to cycle and work simultaneously. These offer a circular motion similar to riding a real bike. They can be used with both feet and hands. Be sure to look for one that has an appropriate stoke height if you will be sitting at your desk while pedaling. The one pictured below is by Sunny Health and has adjustable pedals and safety straps and 8 levels of tension so you can adjust resistance to challenge your arms and legs while working out. There is also an LCD screen display to keep you on track with time, speed, distance, and calories. Watch this video to see how it works.
Staying healthy at work can be as easy as having exercise equipment to keep at the office. When you’re a healthy employee, you are likely to be more productive and make a greater impact in your workplace. If your employer doesn’t offer a stipend for desk exercise equipment, you may want to invest in your health and get tools that encourag more movement throughout the day. Use this list of exercise equipment to keep at the office as a place to start building your mini-gym at work.
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