My Twitter followers know how much I can’t stand #cubelife. Regular blog readers know I live for the weekend – usually an active weekend. But what’s a girl to do when the corporate jungle tells you to sit at a desk for 8-9 hours a day?
Well, you can’t do much, but you can at least move a little at your desk. I get my sweat session in before work, and I try to take 1 or 2 daily 10-minute walk breaks while at the office. However, there are times when you just need a little something extra.
Harbinger kindly sent me a couple goodies. The company said a lot of their workout equipment could be taken to the office to make cube fitness easier. The moves I’ve demonstrated below are also discrete since you can do them sitting in your chair.
Resistance Band Curl: I guess this one’s pretty self-explanatory. Be sure to keep your wrist firm. *Best with lighter band.
Overhead Triceps Press: Sit with feet on the floor and the band hanging from your upper hand. Reach up with your other hand behind your back, and grab the hanging end. Extend the upper arm above your head. *Best with lighter band.
Reverse Band Fly: Sit tall in your chair with your arms extended out at shoulder height holding the resistance 8 cable. Begin to separate your arms so they move away from each other and stop when they are fully out to the side before slowly returning to the start position.
Balance Trainer: Sit on your chair with the balance disc under you. Placing your hands behind your head, lift your right knee up as you bring your left elbow across to meet your right knee. Switch sides. (My favorite of the moves!)
Of course, if you leave it at home, you can get even more creative…
Important: I recommend using one of their regular resistance bands for most of these moves. I couldn’t perform them with the “medium resistance” band I received (I’m a weakling!). I highly recommend buying the “light resistance 8 cable” instead.
Enough of my smiling, happy face. Now it’s your turn to smile. Harbinger is generously giving away 1 resistance 8 cable to 2 winners. I will announce a winner on Saturday morning. Here’s how to enter:
Leave a comment letting me know which of these you did. You can enter up to 4 times.
- Leave a comment telling me how you squeeze in extra bits of movement.
- Follow me on Twitter @ LoveSweatBeers (Leave a comment with your twitter handle.)
- Tweet something along the lines of “I entered to win @HarbingerFit gear from @LoveSweatBeers at http://wp.me/p1U59D-Oj.”
- Follow Harbinger on Twitter @HarbingerFit (Leave a comment with your twitter handle.)
February 9, 2012 at 5:34 am
I try to park further away from work, and I take the stairs instead of the escalator. Anything helps!
February 9, 2012 at 6:32 am
I go to fill up my water bottle at the fountain at the other end of the building to squeeze in some extra walking. I love that you did your cube exercises sitting on a cube:)
February 9, 2012 at 7:16 am
You look fabulous in all of those pictures! When I’m out somewhere I try to take the stairs instead of an elevator. And since I live in a city where you don’t have to drive everywhere, I try to walk when I can!
February 9, 2012 at 7:16 am
Already follow you on twitter! @SweetNHealthy
February 9, 2012 at 7:17 am
I tweeted!
February 9, 2012 at 7:18 am
And I now follow them on twitter
February 9, 2012 at 7:27 am
I take little exercise breaks at school by asking to go to the bathroom and just making sure I get up and walk around a bit! My butt falls asleep is I sit for too long!!LOL!
February 9, 2012 at 8:28 am
I love using resistance bands. I just have the bands that you have to tie though. As for getting in more moving – well, I do have to walk 3 blocks to and from my parking lot, I try to take stairs and typically park towards the back of parking lots rather than right at the front door.
February 9, 2012 at 8:29 am
I already follow you on twitter of course
@hriacobacci
February 9, 2012 at 8:29 am
And I tweeted. Happy Thursday!
February 9, 2012 at 8:46 am
I never would have thought of bringing a resistance band to work. I also hate #cubelife and want to be active! Great post!
February 9, 2012 at 8:58 am
I park far away from the store, or get up to go to a far away printer at work, and bring stuff to the project managers upstairs rather than waiting for them to come down for it.
February 9, 2012 at 8:59 am
I already follow you – @runcupcake
February 9, 2012 at 9:00 am
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/#!/runcupcake/status/167608563374624768
February 9, 2012 at 9:14 am
I work in an office at a warehouse. I take a 15 minute break both in the morning and afternoon and walk around the warehouse.
February 9, 2012 at 9:34 am
My students could do these with me.
February 9, 2012 at 9:49 am
I try to take walk breaks as well, though have a cubicle and a lab means I am walking back and forth a lot during the busy lab days. I should start wearing a pedometer, hah.
February 9, 2012 at 9:51 am
I just try to get up and walk around the office as much as possible.
February 9, 2012 at 9:51 am
I stay at home with my toddler so it is pretty easy to get a little bit of exerise in daily, even if it just a walk to the park. Lifting an extra 28 pounds constantly also helps
February 9, 2012 at 9:53 am
I’m following you on Twitter! @alisenasu
February 9, 2012 at 9:54 am
I tweeted! @alisenasu
February 9, 2012 at 9:57 am
Hi, I just found your blog and I think it’s great! I also hate the #cubelife like crazy! I try to go to the gym during lunch or at least walk for a good 30 min in the middle of the day. I’m not following you and Harbingerfit on Twitter. Can’t wait to read some more of your posts
February 9, 2012 at 9:57 am
I follow harbigerfit on Twitter! @alisenasu
February 9, 2012 at 10:01 am
Already follow you on Twitter!
February 9, 2012 at 10:02 am
Tweeted!
February 9, 2012 at 10:02 am
And I followed Harbinger.
February 9, 2012 at 10:41 am
You look like a modelll! I take the stairs instead of the elevator every time!
February 9, 2012 at 10:41 am
I follow you on twitter @thextramile
February 9, 2012 at 11:33 am
I get up and walk around, a lot!
February 9, 2012 at 11:35 am
Following you on Twitter
@eatrunsail
February 9, 2012 at 11:36 am
I tweeted your giveaway
@eatrunsail
February 9, 2012 at 11:36 am
I follow Harbinger on Twitter too
@eatrunsail
February 9, 2012 at 1:55 pm
You do look so happy and smiley in these pics! My office is on the third floor of the building, so when I go out to use the bathroom, I’ll sometimes pop into the stairwell for a quick trip down and up, just to keep my legs moving! I try to walk at lunch, too–but that doesn’t happen very often in the winter.
February 9, 2012 at 3:16 pm
These are great ideas!! I do the extra walks when I can and the occasional push-up wherever I am. Leg lifts, crunches..but mainly walking. If I am around stairs I will walk up them an extra few times.
February 9, 2012 at 3:25 pm
I always try to fit in extra walking! I’ll walk instead of taking the metro, hop up and down to refill my water all day long, and park wherever there’s a spot so i can just walk the extra distance to the store.
February 9, 2012 at 3:54 pm
The stairs are my best friend Period.
February 9, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Following you on twitter as @bchan5720
February 9, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Tweeted as @bchan5720 https://twitter.com/#!/BChan5720/status/167713600138522626
February 9, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Following Harbinger on twitter as @bchan5720
February 9, 2012 at 7:52 pm
I hate my little cube
LOL
February 9, 2012 at 8:10 pm
I am a cube dweller too. I also try to work out in the morning and try to take walks at lunch if possible!
February 9, 2012 at 8:10 pm
I follow Love, Sweat & Beers on Twitter as @Hungrigyrl
February 9, 2012 at 8:11 pm
I follow Harbinger on Twitter as @Hungrigyrl.
February 9, 2012 at 8:11 pm
I tweeted “I entered to win @HarbingerFit gear from @LoveSweatBeers at http://wp.me/p1U59D-Oj” from @Hungrigyrl
February 9, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Amazing! I love doing chair dips, lunges, and random other “discreet” things at my desk because I get soooo bored and lethargic. Fellow cubelife hater right here.
February 9, 2012 at 10:40 pm
Following you on twitter @fitontherocks
February 10, 2012 at 9:47 am
Im interning at a hospital so always try to use bathrooms on another floor to get in a few extra steps and flight of stairs! Working out in the morning helps too, then I don’t feel like a slug sitting most of the day
February 10, 2012 at 9:49 am
I tweeted “Check out @LoveSweatBeers blog to enter the awesome @harbingerfit giveaway she is having! End tomorrow!!” from @LexieBoyceRD2be
February 10, 2012 at 9:49 am
I follow @LoveSweatBeers on twitter, my twitter handle is @LexieBoyceRD2be
February 10, 2012 at 9:50 am
Started following @harbingerfit on twitter with handle @LexieBoyceRD2be
February 10, 2012 at 10:17 am
I like to get up and walk around.. at least once an hour.. I have to, or else I would go crazy!
February 10, 2012 at 10:17 am
I already follow you
@runthoughts 
February 10, 2012 at 11:58 am
I am usually pretty sedentary during the day until it is time for my workout. A few times a week I take a walk around the duck pond or field close to my office, or walk across campus to get coffee. I REALLY want a treadmill desk or at least a stand-up desk set up in my office. May be a project for the summer to get it all set up!
February 10, 2012 at 11:59 am
I already follow you on Twitter – Handle is @NutritionNerd
February 10, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Now I am following Harbinger on Twitter. Handle is @NutritionNerd
February 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm
at work, i try to get up and walk around a bit every half hour or so. i can’t sit still for very long anyways!
February 10, 2012 at 2:22 pm
i follow you on twitter! @myfnfdiaries
February 10, 2012 at 2:23 pm
i tweeted!
February 10, 2012 at 2:24 pm
i follow harbingerfit on twitter! @myfnfdiaries
February 10, 2012 at 5:24 pm
Always take the stairs, park far away from stores (unless it’s raining!), and drink a lot of water so I’m forced to take regular bathroom trips.
February 11, 2012 at 1:13 pm
Yup. That water trick is often forgotten but always works.
February 10, 2012 at 6:16 pm
I always am doing calf raises while standing in line anywhere….I don’t care how silly I look. Also…now that we have that handy dandy chin up bar in our door – we make a rule that everytime you pass it you have to do at least 3 chin ups…it works!
xoxo from Trinidad
February 10, 2012 at 6:17 pm
i follow you on twitter @pace_of_laurel
February 10, 2012 at 6:18 pm
i also follow them on twitter! @pace_of_laurel
February 10, 2012 at 6:19 pm
i tweeted!
https://twitter.com/#!/pace_of_laurel/status/168111540975828992
February 10, 2012 at 6:20 pm
this might sound cliche, but i always park far away from where i’m going and try to fit in as much walking as possible throughout my day (on top of the running i already do!)
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