3 Exercises you can do in the Office

One of the biggest com­plaints peo­ple have when talk­ing about exer­cise is that they don’t have the time. Deep down we know it is more of an excuse than a com­plaint, but we won’t admit that to just anybody.

If you're stuck in an office here’s a few ideas for mak­ing use of time dur­ing the day, although we can’t guar­an­tee you wont get strange looks from your colleagues :)

For any type of phys­i­cal activ­ity and exer­cise to make a dif­fer­ence, it needs to be done reg­u­larly and rou­tinely. If you work in an office envi­ron­ment, your work­ing hours may gen­uinely not allow for time dur­ing the day to get down to the gym or attend a fit­ness class. And lets face it, in the evening after a long day, it is a cer­ti­fi­able lux­ury to do a class and sweat out the stress of the day.

Barre Attack com­bines all the fun­da­men­tal aspects of bal­let, fit­ness and Pilates, giv­ing you a full body work­out that will increase your sta­bil­ity, core strength and pos­ture. We’ve had a look through the exten­sive reper­toire and cho­sen a few moves you can take right to the office with you.

Here are 5 Exer­cises you can do in your Office:

Step Lunges

Step one foot for­wards into a lunge, straighten the legs as you step back into par­al­lel, alter­nate sides. Move the arms in oppo­si­tion to the legs. Remem­ber to keep your core con­nected, your back straight and legs in par­al­lel. Try to do 10 each side. (Warn­ing — def­i­nitely not an exer­cise to per­form in tight clothing!)

Tri­cep

In the barre class we would use an elas­tic attached to the barre but you can use an office chair for this one. Keep your back as close to the chair as pos­si­ble, keep your knees bent and feet on the ground, as you do a stan­dard dip move­ment. Try to do 10 Reps and straighten your legs for a greater chal­lenge. (Warn­ing — do not use a chair with wheels!)

Plies in First

Direct from Barre Attack. Stand side on to a table or a barre, if you have one in your office :). Place your feet in first posi­tion (so heels together and feet fac­ing out at 45 degrees), one hand on the table and the other in sec­ond posi­tion, that is, out straight from your side par­al­lel to the floor. Bend the knees, straighten the knees, rise onto the toes, lower the heels. Do at least 10 reps then change sides.

Remem­ber to keep your knees in line with the toes. Draw the inside thighs together when you straighten the knees and keep the con­nec­tion as you rise and lower the heels. If any­one asks just say you’re think­ing about join­ing the ballet

Wall Squats

These aren't directly part of Barre Attack but they are a good way to tone your legs. Choose a large wall with space to slide down into a squat, using the wall for sup­port for your back. Do at least 5–10 Reps. Keep one leg out straight if you want a bit more of a chal­lenge. (Warn­ing — Remem­ber to have your excuse ready when the boss comes along and asks why you’re using your butt to clean the wall!)

Arabesque Pulses

Like the image, use a chair for support. Lift your back let into an arabesque position. That means keep the back leg straight and the foot pointed.  Keep your core engaged, your other foot flat on the ground and lift the back leg in small pulses. Do this for at least 10 reps and swap sides.

Barre Attack is a really fun way to get fit, stay in shape and increase your con­fi­dence while mak­ing you feel sexy and toned. And when you can­not get to a class you can always impress your co-workers with some great dance moves.

Want some more ideas? Check out the Barre Attack @Home online barre classes.