​The 15 Minute Coffee Break Workout

Everybody enjoys “coffee breaks” even though they probably don’t even drink coffee! Browsing aimlessly on the phone, getting coffee, tea or snacks is usually the norm.

But have you ever thought of sneaking in 7-8 minutes worth of a workout to give your muscles a shake and feel rejuvenated?

According to research, prolonged sitting and minimal movement- like you do at work— is damaging to your health.

Sedentary bodies at work over long periods of time have been connected to poor health, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension.

One study last year found that sitting can increase your risk for cancer by more than 60%.

Humans bodies are meant to constantly move, and we’re not treating our bodies well enough by being immobile at our desks for majority of the day. Incorporating simple workouts during your daily work hours not only give your body some movement; but also elevate your mood and help you focus better at work.

Here are a few creative ways to sneak in a quick workout to giving your body a break from being glued to your desks. These workouts can be done anywhere and you can break them into 2 parts of you want to, too. As long as you’re engaging your body in movements similar to these, you’re good to go. 

1. Walking lunges or lunge kicks

Take your walks to the next level and activate your quads and elevate your heart rate a little by doing walking lunges. To take it one step further, do a lunge as normal and before going back to the initial position, simply add in a kick!

Do for 30 seconds on each side. Rest 30 seconds.

2. Push up holds or desk push ups

Work on your strength, triceps, shoulders and chest with this fun bodyweight workout! If you want to do push up holds, while going back up, simply hold for 5 seconds before going in for another push up. Repeat for 1 minute. Rest 30 seconds.

3. Single leg tricep dips

Get beautiful triceps and energized arms and legs by doing single leg tricep dips. Do 30 seconds of each side by keeping a leg extended throughout your dips. Rest for 30 seconds after 1 minute of dips.

4. In and out squats

Squats are a total body workout but also tone your glutes the most. Warm up your entire body by doing in and out squats. From your initial standing position, extend one leg out into a sumo squat, feel the squeeze and then get back up. Repeat for 1 minute and rest for 15 seconds.

5. Calf raises

Find a wall or the backrest of a chair for support and warm up your calves that you don’t move the entire day! Rest 10 seconds after doing this for 1 minute. 

6. Wall sits

Find a wall, lean your back straight against it and position yourself like you’re sitting on a chair. Hold this position for 45 seconds. Then rest or stretch your body for 1 minute!

That’s it! It’s that simple! 7-8 minutes of a workout and remembering to stretch every couple hours will keep you feeling energized all day. These little steps will definitely add up to a healthier you!