For many of us, having an office job means a whole lot of sitting around with very little time left in the week for exercise.
Get a little creative and use your time, and your body, wisely during your work hours so that you can actively burn fat at work!
Here are some tips to help you burn more calories throughout the day, even with a busy job.
Use your commute
Not everyone has the convenience of being able to walk or ride a bike to work because the distance is too far. But there is nothing stopping you from driving part way and walking the rest! Even if you just do it once or twice per week.
Why not encourage one of your colleges to do the same? That way you can meet up and walk together, so you can socialize as well as exercise!
Always opt for the stairs
It doesn’t matter if your office is on the 4th floor or the 14th floor, if stairs are an option, then take them because every step counts!
Need to step away from your computer for a moment to organize your thoughts? Why not walk up and down the stairs whilst you think?
Walking up stairs not only burns calories fast, it will also get your heart and lungs pumping fresh oxygen-rich blood to your brain. So that means you can resume your work at your optimal level.
Take your lunch elsewhere
Instead of sitting at your desk or in the communal room, why not go for a walk on your lunch break and find somewhere nice to eat it? Perhaps a local park.
Sit on an exercise ball
Exchanging your office chair for an exercise ball means you need to engage your core to sit upright. This engagement of muscles not only burns calories whilst you sit, it also helps improve your posture and can help relieve backache.
If you want to take it one step further, why not use a stand up desk! Keep a high chair handy so that you can take breaks and sit if you need to. But try to stand as much as you can.
Plan walk and talk meetings
If you have meetings with other colleagues, why not roster a walk and talk meeting? That way you can both get out in the fresh air, burn some calories, all whilst being productive!
Deliver messages in person
Modern technology has made it very easy for us to be as lazy as possible because we can just email or message people with the click of a button.
Why not deliver messages to people in your same building in person instead? Not only will you burn calories by walking, you get to say a quick ‘hi’ as well.
Use a small glass
Drinking enough water is important. It keeps you hydrated and helps you stay focused and alert. The trick is to use a small glass so that you need to go to fill it up more often.
You will probably need to get up for some extra bathroom trips too!
Smash out a 5-minute workout
You might be surprised just how many fat burning exercises you can do at your desk. Why not take 5 minutes every hour or to smash out a 5 minute workout.
Some great fat-burning exercise you could do include:
- Standing leg lifts (think barre style exercises)
- Incline push ups (with your hands on the desk)
- Squats
- Static lunges
- Star jumps
There are lots of free apps available that allow you to select your workout and the time frame, and can give you some good exercise ideas. 
Use the facilities on a different story
Need to do some photocopying, or use the bathrooms? Why not opt to use the facilities on a different level, so that you have to walk to get there. Don’t forget to use the stairs!
Stand up to use the phone
By standing and pacing, you can burn twice as many calories as you would if you were sitting to chat. You can even amp this up by moving from a standing to a seated position and back, as you talk.
Sip green tea
Green tea contains caffeine and EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), both of which aid in weight loss.
As well as giving you a nice energy boost, caffeine raises your body’s temperature which works to boost your metabolism.
EGCG is a powerful antioxidant that is very bioactive. This means it interacts with other cellular processes and hormones, and is likely to help with breaking down fat cells.
Bonus tip
When it comes to weight loss and working in an office, it is important to plan ahead when it comes to meals and snacks. Always pack your own lunch AND some healthy snacks. That way, you won’t go hungry or be tempted by the vending machines or the naughty snacks your work morning tea!
It’s FREE