Keep fit in the office with interval training
The time for excuses is over – today there’s a solution for your personal fitness. In the video we show you four exercises which involve the whole body and can be done in any office (or home office). And the best thing about them is that you’re active for six minutes and relaxed for three whole minutes – that’s a promise.
Take time out for yourself and give your body a little exercise. All you need is a chair and a desk. The exercises are suitable for both beginners and advanced students. Depending on your fitness level you will manage between 6 and 12 repetitions per exercise. If you do the exercises regularly, you will quickly see results.
Information about interval training and the individual exercises can be found beneath the video.
Interval training with 4 ultimate exercises
- For beginners we recommend 30 seconds per exercise. Advanced students should start with 60 seconds per exercise.
- One round means completing four 30-second exercises. That’s 120 seconds or two minutes. You can gradually increase the duration.
- Then you take a break of 90 seconds.
- And then you start all over again. A total of three rounds – including breaks.
- Ideally you should do these exercises three times a week.
Tip: It’s best to download a free interval app to your mobile phone – simply search for the «wordInterval». This will enable you to record exercise lengths and breaks.
- Sit on the edge of your office chair and lean backwards slightly.
- Push your chest forward, tense your stomach muscles and then raise each leg alternately to make a 90-degree angle.
- Lift the knee to desktop level and lower it slowly.
- Tap the ground lightly with the tips of your toes; do not set the foot down.
Tip: Keep your upper body as still as possible and keep the tension.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your back against the edge of the desk
- Support yourself with your arms on the desk
- Hands close to the body and feet slightly forward.
- Lower the body, keep the buttocks close to the edge of the desk and push the elbows straight back until a 90-degree angle is reached.
- Chest out, proud posture.
- Use your palms to push back up into the start position
Important: The further you stand away from the desk, the more difficult the exercise. Begin close to the edge of the desk and gradually increase the level of difficulty. However, it’s important that the buttocks remain close to the edge of the desk.
- Stand approximately one big step away from the edge of the desk.
- Rest your hands at shoulder width on the edge of the desk. The feet should be hip width apart.
- Push your elbows outwards and bring the chest to the same level as the elbows.
- Now push yourself up again to the start position. Keep your gaze fixed on the desk.
Important: In this case too, the further you stand away from the desk, the more difficult the exercise. Beginners can stand close to the edge of the desk and do the same exercise from top to bottom. Then gradually increase the distance.
- Stand with your feet a little more than hip-width apart with the feet pointing slightly out.
- Press the knees outwards too and go into a squat position.
- Push your chest forward, tense your stomach muscles, look straight ahead.
- Lower the buttocks down to knee height (you can always use the office chair to gauge the height).
- Push up again by applying pressure through the heels and press the buttocks firmly together.
- You can stretch your arms out to maintain your balance.
Important: The knees must not protrude over the toes because in this position your knee joints would be bearing your full body weight. Keep the tension and «sit» back. Imagine you’re lowering yourself into a chair.
