Best Office Exercise Equipment to Stay in Shape

W ith the whole COVID-19 pandemic situation and the lockdowns that soon followed, we all found ourselves in the unique situation where we were homebound. Companies that had this possibility decided that employees should work from home, but now that restrictions are lifted almost entirely, people have returned to their offices. What came as a pleasant surprise during the lockdown period was the commitment of a larger number of people to be physically active. Even individuals who didn’t hit the gym or go for runs in the park started exercising at home to boost their physical health while also taking care of their mental health.

Now that things are going back to normal, we have to readjust our schedules since most of us return to the office. From home, it was easy to sneak in a quick workout during work hours because of the intimate setting. But just because you are returning to the office doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the routine you have taken up. You can still be active during work hours, you simply need the right equipment, workout gear that doesn’t take up much space.

Exercising while at the office helps you keep healthy, relieves some of the stress you feel, and makes quite a substantial difference when it comes to improving your fitness level. So don’t waste more time, put together a daily office workout routine with the workout equipment we will list in the following, and you will be on your way to a more productive, healthier, and better looking you in no time.

#1 – Under-Desk Elliptical

With the mini desk elliptical you can pedal while you work, using a back-and-forth motion rather than the typical cycling motion. This is the best office workout equipment, hands down. You sit in your desk chair and just pedal away with the mini version, staying active while minding your tasks and reports as you normally do. It is specially intended to fit under the desk, taking up insignificant space, and you won’t bump your knees into the desk as you pedal since the equipment has a very low profile. Fitness-wise, studies on physically inactive adults have demonstrated that mini elliptical pedaling increases energy expenditure even during sedentary activities, so you can stay active without standing up, the most efficient option for office workouts.

Woman Using Dumbbells in the Office

#2 – Dumbbells

You can use any type of free weight to strength train during work hours. However, we recommend dumbbells because these are easier to grasp, take up little space, and can be integrated with work-related activities without hassle. While you’re on the phone with your boss, you can use your free hand to execute dumbbell curls or extensions. When you can take a small break, you can hold dumbbells in each hand and perform weighted lunges and squats to engage lower body muscles too.

#3 – Ab Roller Wheel

You won’t get any work done when you work out with it since you have to sit on the floor for this exercise. But, whenever you have a few free minutes that you can spare, the ab roller wheel will give your abdominals a workout like no other office-friendly apparatus. It takes up a small amount of space, so you can keep it under your desk and just take it out when you feel like exercising. Nevertheless, you can use only it if you have a private office, unlike the mini elliptical that works even for those who have small cubicles.

#4 – Doorway Pull-Up Bar

If you have the possibility to install a pull-up bar in the doorway at your office, you can train just like you do at the gym without leaving work. Pull-ups are very challenging and help build muscle mass in the arms and shoulders while also engaging your core and back muscles. However, as great as pull-ups might be for increasing the fitness level and staying in shape, this won’t be a feasible solution for everyone since office rules might disallow that you install the neat little workout gear.

#5 – Balance Ball Chair

It provides a fun means to improve back and core strength, relieve back pain and stiffness, all while minding work as you normally do. Sitting on the balance ball chair simply implies that you engage your back and core muscles to maintain stability, so you can freely use your hands to perform tasks, and your attention won’t be distracted since you don’t have to do any special movement. Nevertheless, we recommend you use this workout gear with caution. As suggested by research conducted on 14 participants, prolonged sitting on the stability ball causes discomfort. Don’t give up on your office chair completely. Instead, sneak in a 1-hour workout by working while sitting on the balance ball chair, and then return to your normal sitting arrangement. The activation of muscles and the lumbar spine makes it impossible to go through the entire 9 to 5 on it, so integrate it with your office setup only for as long as it feels comfortable.

#6 – Resistance Bands

These take up the smallest amount of space, and their heavy-duty design makes them perfect for workouts of all difficulty levels and intensities, from strength training to Pilates to injury rehabilitation. You can even exercise while you work, so there’s no need to take a 5-minute break when you want to be active. The simplest exercise you can do while you get your tasks completed is the leg pulse. Put both feet inside of the band and pull it mid-way onto your thighs. As you sit in your chair, pull your legs out until you feel resistance from it and slowly pulse your legs out. Engage your core and glutes during this exercise for the best results.

Businessman Training on Tradmill Desk while Working

#7 – Treadmill Desk

An ingenious contraption that you use to reach your number of steps per day while working on your tasks and even carrying out online meetings. It’s basically a standing desk that you can turn on to walk while you read texts and receive emails. Research does show that motor abilities while walking on the treadmill are decreased compared to results when using the standing desk, but you have the option of turning off the machine during specific tasks where you have to sit still. After all, clinical trials have demonstrated that treadmill desks increase work performance, especially for tasks that involve the use of memory and attention. So, when you draw the line, the treadmill desk is an office workout equipment that you should opt for especially if you’re a fan of the standing desk idea. It combines the best of both, and since you have complete control, you can turn it off when you have to quickly write a report and back on again when you want to keep busy while staying active.

How You Benefit from Staying Active at Work

Sedentary behavior has led to a surge in cardio health complications, emergence of type 2 diabetes, back pain, and other health complications along the years. We are now less active than the generations before us, and a big role in this problem is played by the number of hours we spend at the office.

We might not be aware of it, but this sedentary lifestyle takes a toll on our mental health at work, the active time during office hours actually prompting mental well-being and increase in productivity as a result. So the benefits aren’t limited to the obvious increase in the fitness level, they go beyond this mark. You will feel more energized and invigorated, you won’t feel as stressed by your tasks, and your productivity will improve as a result.

If you are an employer, make sure that you let your employees take breaks to exercise when they need to. The company will ultimately benefit from this decision since they will live healthier, so the chances of them taking leave because of medical problems will decrease. Moreover, their focus on tasks will increase and happiness levels will rise, leading to better participation at work.

Bottom Line

Just because you have an office job doesn’t mean that you have to sit all day. Even if you do sit on your chair, you can get creative and replace it with a balance ball to keep your core engaged while you work. Or get an under-desk elliptical to pedal while you write reports. Whichever office-friendly exercise equipment you pick, what matters is that you do not neglect physical activity during work hours. As aforementioned, aside from improving your fitness and helping you stay in shape, it will increase your performance at your job because of the stress relief exercising implies. You will feel and look better, without having to give up on your lunch break to hit the gym since, as you can see, working out can be done right from the office too.