From The Straits Times    |

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Six quickie exercises to tone six body areas, courtesy of trainer Citira Corrigan of fitness organisation UFIT. You can squeeze in two or more during lunch or a computer break. And you don’t need fancy equipment – just your desk, chair and two water bottles.

Each sweat-free exercise will take three to five minutes, if you do three sets with breaks of 20 to 30 seconds in between. For all eight exercises, set aside half an hour. Do them three times a week, and you should see a trimmer body in just two weeks, says Citira. What’s not to like?

A word of advice: Wear pants or an A-line skirt to free your legs for some exercises, and flat shoes or trainers for grip. And if you feel self-conscious contorting on your own, get gung-ho colleagues to join you.

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TARGET: TUMMY

Sit on the edge of your chair, with your back straight and knees bent at about 90 degrees. Holding on to the armrests or sides of the seat, lift your knees up as high as you can, then lower them but don’t let your feet touch the floor. Repeat 10 times.

TARGET: BUTT

Stand with your back to the chair. Raise one leg and clasp your hands in front of you, at chest level, for balance. Lower your butt as close to the seat as you can, then stand up. It doesn’t matter if you sit, but try not to let the lifted foot touch the ground. Repeat 10 times. Change legs.

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TARGET: BACK

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent. Keeping your back straight, bend forward slightly and let your arms hang down. Take a full water bottle in each hand as a weight. Bring both bottles up towards the sides of your chest, tensing your back muscles, and back down again, relaxing the muscles. Do the exercise in a circular motion, as if you’re rowing. Repeat 10 times.

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TARGET: CHEST

It’s basically a desk push-up. Place both hands on the edge of your desk, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Going on tiptoe, incline your body but keep your back straight. Bend your elbows, lowering your chest as close as you can to the desk without touching it, then push back up until your arms are straight. Repeat 10 times.

TARGET: TRICEPS

Sit on the edge of your chair, knees bent to about 90 degrees. (For a harder workout, stretch out your legs.) Place the heels of your palms by the sides of your hips, on the seat. Lift your bum off the chair and lower your hips until your elbows are bent 90 degrees, then lift your hips back up. Repeat 10 times.

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TARGET: THIGHS

Stand about a metre away from your chair with your back to it. Place your left foot on the seat so your knee is slightly bent. Keeping your back straight, bend your right knee to 90 degrees, then push back up. Repeat 10 times, then change legs.

TIP

For more stability, use a regular chair instead of a swivel chair.

BURN FAT FAST

Instead of taking the lift to get to your office, take the stairs and try these two short-burst exercises. “They produce hormones to trigger fat burning better than drawn-out exercises like a long jog,” says Citira.

  • Jump-skip and tap the top of the stair with the toes of one foot. Alternate your feet as quickly as possible. Continue for 20 seconds and rest for 10. Repeat six to eight times.

  • Taking two steps at a time, go up as fast as you can for 30 seconds. Then recover by taking single steps down to where you started. Repeat six to eight times.

 

This story was originally published in the June 2012 issue of Her World.

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