30 Office Exercises to Try Right Now

How can I exercise at my desk?

1. Triceps dips

Muscle groups worked: triceps and chest

How to do them:

1. Begin in a seated position on your chair.
2. Put your palms flat on the chair, with your fingers facing away from you. Keep your heels on the ground with your legs straight out in front of you.
3. Lower yourself, keeping your body close to the chair, until your upper arms are almost parallel to the ground
4. Return to the starting position and repeat for at least 10 reps.

2. Desk pushups

Muscle groups worked: triceps and chest

How to do them:

1. Face your desk and lean against it, with your hands slightly wider than your shoulders and your arms straight.
2. Lower yourself until your chest almost reaches your desk, then return to the starting position.
3. Repeat for at least 10 reps.

3. Calf raises

Muscle groups worked: calves

How to do them:

1. Stand tall and hold your chair or desk for balance.
2. Rise up onto your toes, hold for a moment, and then lower your heels back to the floor.
3. Repeat at least 10 times.

4. Squats

Muscle groups worked: quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core

How to do them:

1. Stand tall, with your office chair behind you. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and your hands stretched out in front of you.
2. Lower down until your buttocks almost touch your chair, keeping your knees in line with your toes.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 or more times.

5. Desk plank

Muscle groups worked: core and shoulders

How to do it:

1. Place your hands or forearms on a sturdy chair or the edge of your desk.
2. Slowly walk your feet back until your legs are straight.
3. Keep your shoulders stacked over your elbows and your hips in line with your spine.
4. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.

5. Chair or desk side planks

Muscles groups worked: shoulders and core

How to do them:

1. Set yourself up in a plank position with your palms down, or your forearms.
2. Once you are comfortable, rotate to a side plank by turning your body to the right side, and lift your right arm up toward the ceiling.
3. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds. If needed, you can stack your feet on top of each other or stagger them for more support.
4. Repeat on the left side.

7. Desk donkey kicks

Muscle groups worked: glutes and hamstrings

How to do them:

1. Place your hands on the edge of your desk with your legs slightly bent.
2. Tilt your torso forward so that your chest is parallel to the floor.
3. Push your hips back and bend the right leg 90 degrees, pressing your heel up to the ceiling
4. Slowly lower it back down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for at least 10 reps on each side.

8. Pistol squats

Muscle groups worked: quads, glutes, hamstring, and core

How to do them:

1. Sit in your chair in a comfortable position.
2. Place your right foot flat on the ground and extend your left leg in front of you.
3. Stand up on your right foot, keeping your left leg extended out in front of you. Consider placing your hands on your hips for additional stability.
4. Repeat at least 5 times on each side.

How can I exercise while standing in the office?

9. Static lunges

Muscle groups worked: core, quads, and hamstrings

How to do them:

1. Stand tall, with good posture and your hands on your hips.
2. Take a big step forward with your right foot. Bend your right knee while keeping it in line with your toes.
3. Straighten your right leg to drive back up to the starting position.
4. Keep your right leg in front of you to complete the desired reps before switching to your left leg.
5. Complete 10 to 20 reps on each side.

10. Side lunges

Muscle groups worked: quads, hamstrings, and adductor

How to do them:

1. Stand tall, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Take a big step to the side and squat down until your thigh is almost parallel to the ground.
3. Step back to the starting position.
4. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

11. Single-leg deadlifts

Muscle groups worked: glutes and hamstrings

How to do them:

1. Stand tall on one leg, with your hands at your sides.
2. Push your hips back and reach toward the floor.
3. Stop when your back is parallel to the ground.
4. Return to the start position.
5. Repeat at least 5 times on each leg.

12. Wall sit

Muscle groups worked: quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings

How to do it:

1. Stand with your back against a wall.
2. Slide down until your hips and knees are bent at about 90 degrees.
3. Hold this position for at least 30 seconds.

13. Step-ups

Muscle groups worked: quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings

How to do them:

Before you perform this exercise, make sure the surface you’re using is stable to avoid injury.

1. Put one foot on a stable chair or stair that’s no higher than your knees.
2. Push that foot down into the chair and step up.
3. Lower yourself back to the starting position.
4. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

14. Bulgarian split squats

Muscle groups worked: quads, core, glutes, and hamstrings

How to do them:

1. Place your right foot face down, or “laces down”, onto a chair or other solid surface behind you.
2. Stand with the front heel of your left foot about 2 feet away from the chair.
3. Lower yourself until your back knee almost touches the ground and your front knee is over your toes.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat 10 times on each side.

15. Jumping jacks

Muscle groups worked: full-body

How to do them:

1. Stand with your arms by your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Jump up and land with your feet wider and your hands over your head.
3. Jump again to return to the start position.
4. Repeat at least 10 times.

16. Marching

Muscle groups worked: full-body

How to do it:

1. Stand tall, with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Lift one knee as high as you can without leaning back. Lift the opposite arm up in front of you.
3. Continue switching legs to march in place, alternating your arms as if you’re running.
4. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

How can I exercise while sitting in the office?

17. Oblique twists

Muscle groups worked: obliques

How to do them:

1. Sit in a swiveling chair with your hands holding the edge of your desk.
2. Spin yourself as far you can to one side using your hands, then switch to the other side.
3. Repeat for at least 10 reps on each side.

Note: If you do not have a swivel chair, you can bend your arms up in front of you and turn your body to the right and left. Just make sure to move from your core.

18. Seated bicycles

Muscle groups worked: obliques and abdominals

How to do them:

1. Sit tall, with your feet flat on the floor and your hands behind your head.
2. Lift one knee and twist your opposite elbow toward it.
3. Return to the start position.
4. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

19. Leg lifts

Muscle groups worked: core, quads, and hip flexors

How to do them:

1. Sit tall in your chair with good posture.
2. Lift one leg straight until your hamstring comes off the seat.
3. Hold for at least 20 seconds and repeat on the other side.

20. Seated knee-to-chest

Muscle groups worked: abdominals

How to do it:

1. Sit in a chair, with your legs straight out in front of you.
2. Hold the bottom of your chair for support and pull your knees in toward your chest.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat at least 10 times.

21. Glute squeezes

Muscle groups worked: glutes

How to do them:

1. Sit tall in your chair, with good posture.
2. Contract (squeeze) your glutes as hard as you can for 10 to 30 seconds, then relax.
3. Repeat 10 times.

22. Seated leg extensions

Muscle groups worked: quads

How to do them:

1. Sit tall, with your feet flat on the floor.
2. Contract (squeeze) the muscle on the front of your upper thigh to lift one leg until it’s parallel with the floor and straight out in front of you.
3. Hold for a second, then lower back to the starting position.
4. Repeat 10 times on each side.

23. Seated windshield wipers

Muscle groups worked: abdominals and obliques

How to do them:

1. Sit in your chair, with your palms gripping the seat for balance and your legs extended out straight and off the floor.
2. Move your legs as far as you can to the right, keeping your feet together.
3. Switch sides by moving your legs as far as you can to the left.
4. Repeat at least 20 times.

24. Seated flutter kicks

Muscle groups worked: abdominals and quads

How to do them:

1. Sit with your legs extended out in front of you.
2. Lift one foot up about 6 inches and use your palms to grip the chair for support. Try to sit up tall while kicking.
3. Return that foot to the ground while lifting the other foot up about 6 inches.
4. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

How can I build muscle when working in the office?

For the following exercises, you can use a dumbbell or another heavy object you have at the office. Some ideas include:

• books
• a ream of paper
• filled filing boxes
• water jugs or bottles

25. Seated shoulder press

Muscle groups worked: shoulders

How to do it:

1. Sit tall in your chair. In one hand, hold a dumbbell or other heavy object that’s easy to grip, such as a water bottle.
2. Hold it near your shoulder, with your elbow bent at about 90 degrees.
3. Push the object upward until your arm is fully extended.
4. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower it back to eye level.
5. Repeat at least 10 times, then switch to the other side.

26. Bent-over rows

Muscle groups worked: upper back and lats

How to do them:

1. Pick up a dumbbell or heavy object with both hands.
2. Keeping your back flat, hinge forward from your hips. Push your butt back and keep a slight bend in your knees.
3. Pull the object up toward your torso, pulling your shoulders down and back.
4. Lower the object back down.
5. Repeat for at least 10 reps.

27. Biceps curls

Muscle groups worked: biceps

How to do them:

1. Stand tall, with a heavy object or dumbbell in one hand and your arm straight by your side.
2. Without shifting your weight, curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder, bending your elbow to do so.
3. Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then lower to the starting position.
4. Repeat for at least 10 reps, then switch to the other side.

28. Front raises

Muscle groups worked: shoulders

How to do them:

1. Stand tall, with a dumbbell or another heavy object in your hand. Keep your arm by your side and your palm facing toward you.
2. Lift the weight in front of you, keeping your arm straight.
3. Stop when your arm is parallel with the ground.
4. Pause for a moment, then lower your arm.
5. Repeat for at least 10 reps, then switch sides.

29. Russian twists

Muscle groups worked: obliques and shoulders

How to do them:

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet slightly off the floor. Hold a dumbbell or other heavy object in front of you.
2. Twist the object to the side, keeping your arms straight.
3. Pause for a moment, then repeat on the other side.
4. Complete at least 10 reps on each side.

30. Romanian deadlifts

Muscle groups worked: glutes, hamstrings, and back

How to do them:

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width distance apart
2. Hold a dumbbell or heavy weight at hip level with both hands.
3. Lower the weight while pushing your hips back; keep your back neutral throughout the movement.
4. When your back is about parallel to the floor, squeeze your glutes and push your hips forward to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat at least 8 times.

How can I exercise when I’m busy at work?

5-minute workout

You can combine the exercises above in several different ways to create a 5-minute desk workout. Here’s one example:

10-minute workout

You can also combine the exercises we discussed above to create a 10-minute workout. Here’s a look at one routine:

Benefits

Exercising — even just in short bursts throughout the day — is linked to a number of benefits. These include:

• Relieve body discomfort: According to a small 2021 study, 10 minutes of yoga every day can benefit those who work sedentary jobs. Participants reported a reduction of discomfort in various areas of their body, such as their eyes, back, and wrists. It also improved their emotional health.
• Improve your mood: According to a 2018 reviewTrusted Source, research has found that acute bursts of exercise are linked to positive changes in mood. Most of the research is on aerobic exercise, but there’s some evidence that anaerobic exercise like weightlifting can also have similar benefits.
• Increased attention and productivity: A 2021 studyTrusted Source conducted in Japan focused on the use of sit-stand desks. Researchers suggested that reducing sitting time at work enhances engagement, productivity, and performance. It’s recommended that you only sit for 4 hours during the workday, and incorporate low intensity exercises or stand during the rest of your work hour to improve your well-being.

Other options

Depending on your office set-up, it might not be practical to exercise at your desk, especially if you’re in close quarters with your co-workers.

However, there are many other ways you can fit in time for exercise at work:

• Use the stairs regularly.
• Walk while on the phone.
• Consider a standing desk.
• Go for a short walk on your breaks.
• Consider walking or biking to work if practical.
• Replace your office chair with an exercise ball.
• Keep some exercise equipment at work so you can exercise during your lunch break.

How to stay motivated

If you’re having a particularly busy or stressful day, you might find it harder than usual to stay motivated for your workout. Here are some techniques you can use to help you stay focused:

• Create an exercise challenge with a co-worker to keep each other accountable.
• Set daily and weekly goals for yourself.
• Focus on exercises you find fun.
• Schedule your workouts on your calendar in advance.
• Reward yourself regularly.
• Don’t beat yourself up if you miss 1 or 2 days.
• Try listening to music you find motivating while you exercise.

The bottom line

Spending a few minutes exercising at the office each day is better than not exercising at all.

There are hundreds of exercises you can do with minimal equipment. Your chair, desk, and heavy books are just a few things you can use during your workout.