American spend about 7.5 hours a day working and 5 hours a day participating in leisure activities according to the 2010 American Time Use Survey. Of these 5 hours of leisure time, only 1.5 hours are spent doing something active, compared to watching tv (2.7 hours). Still, many people complain that the reason that they can’t get in shape is because they don’t have time.

I’m calling shenanigans.

We all have the same 24 hours, and most of us have to juggle the responsibilities of caring for children, managing a household, and working for a living. So how do fit people always find the time to exercise despite their schedules?

They sneak it in.

According to the American Council on Exercise, splitting up your exercise into smaller more frequent chunks throughout the day is just as effective as dedicating one big block of time. When it comes to weight management and physical conditioning, most Americans would be able to squeeze the recommended amount of exercise into their day if they squeezed exercise into the activity that takes up the majority of their day: work.

You don’t have to trade in your desk jockey uniform and for a track suit to get fit at work. In fact, all you have to do is make a few small changes during your day. Over 8 hours, it will add up to make a huge difference.

Here are DailyBurn, we’re lucky because we live and breathe fitness. We have baked healthy living into our work culture, so it’s not that odd for us to all back away from our desks every few hours for a pull-up contest. Not all workplaces are there yet, and we get that. At our company, getting fit on the boss’s time is encouraged.

If you have to be covert about getting fit on your boss’s time, here are 10 ways to workout without shirking your daily job responsibilities:

1. Race up the stairs. If you work in a building with stairs, this is the best way to squeeze in high intensity intervals. Every time you want to reach for a snack or a coffee to wake up, head down to the ground floor and race up a few flights of stairs. At DailyBurn HQ, we have 9 floors, which makes for a great short sprint. Keep track of your time and try to beat it everyday.

 

2. Sit on a stability ball. Trade in your ergonomic chair for a stability ball. Why sit in a $600 chair that molds to your back when you can sit on a $24.99 stability ball? It will help keep you alert, and it will help strengthen your core. You are a person, not a slug. Use your spine the way it was intended to be used.

 

3. Practice the frequency method. Set an alarm for every two hours and knock out a set of bicep curls. It’s not that hard to keep a single dumbbell stored in your desk drawer. We practice this here at DailyBurn HQ, where it’s not that uncommon to break out the dumbbell during a meeting. When the alarm goes off, we start lifting. If you complete 4 sets of 10 over the course of the day, that’s 40 reps without ever leaving your office.

 

4. Do standing calf raises. Stand up on your toes and knock out 50 standing calf raises. You’ll strengthen your calves by using your bodyweight.

 

5. Propose an employee health program to HR. Employee wellness programs are all the rage right now thanks to insurance incentives. Save your company money and get your entire team fit at the same time.

 

6. Get competitive outside of the office. Assemble a kickball or softball team and participate in a local adult league. It’s a great way to meet new people and get moving after work. Just don’t go overboard with the post-game beer and nachos.

 

7. Plan a fitness competition with your teammates. Now is the perfect time to get the entire office fit before bathing suit season. Everyone likes competition. Plus, a fitness challenge will help create a little fun in the office. Have everyone throw in a few bucks to enter, then award the winner with a monetary prize.

 

8. Do a lap every hour. Sitting for an extended period of time is bad for the circulation in your lower body. Get off your butt every hour and walk a lap around the office. It will help get your blood pumping, and the ideas flowing.

 

9. Walk to the local coffeeshop for your afternoon coffee break. Even if your office has a company coffee machine, try to go out in the afternoon for your coffee. You’ll get a healthy dose of vitamin D from the sun, and the walk will help keep you energized until the end of the workday. Grab an office buddy for a few laughs on the walk if you need to decompress.

 

10. Hold your meetings at the gym. Office meetings are boring. Lunch meetings are too long. Courting customers over drinks can get expensive. If you need to meet up with a potential business partner, propose a workout or an outdoor activity. According to an article in the New York Times, gym meetings are becoming more common. If you want to disarm a skeptical client, the gym is a great way to relate on a level playing field.

 
Do you workout at work? If so, how do you sneak it in?

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