With only a couple of weeks until the Olympics kick off, lots of people are thinking about getting back into the gym themselves, or taking up a new sport. But with the daily stresses and strains of work and family life, most of us never get 'round to actually doing anything about these sporty pursuits. But a lot of people find that if they do take the time and effort to exercise during the day, they have lots more energy to get things done, and sleep better at night. We all live very busy lives yet around two thirds of us spend the whole day sitting down at work, staying healthy can sometimes be a challenge, but with just 30 minutes of exercise every day, keeping fit can be easier than you think, you don't even have to leave your office and soon you'll be well on your way to perfecting your own Olympic body.
Keep fit while you work – how to make the most of a hard day at the desk
Taut like a typist: This is good one for people who use a computer all day. Hold your right arm out in front of you with your palm facing down. Use your left hand to gently push your right-hand back towards your shoulder at the fingers. You'll feel the underside of your forearm tighten. Now face your palm upwards and pull your hand gently towards the floor. Repeat this exercise for the left-arm.
Stretching the spine: You'll need a chair with a back for this exercise, preferably a low one. Cross your arms and move your elbows towards the ceiling as you bend your back over the chair. Try to keep your head in an upright line with your neck. Repeat this five times.
Squeezing the cushion: First put a cushion between your knees. Squeeze your legs together at the knee and clench your buttocks. Hold for 5 seconds and relax slowly without dropping the cushion. This is a great way of exercising the inner thigh muscles. Do this five times.
Chair Squat: While sitting, lift up until your hips are just hovering over the chair, arms out for balance. Hold for 2-3 seconds, stand all the way up and repeat for 16 reps.
Front Raise to Triceps Press: Sit tall with the abs in and hold a full water bottle in your left hand. Lift the bottle up to shoulder level, pause, and then continue lifting all the way up over the head. When the arm is next to the ear, bend the elbow, taking the water bottle behind you and contracting the triceps. Straighten the arm and lower down, repeating for 12 reps on each arm.
Bicep Curl: Hold the water bottle in your right hand and, with abs in and spine straight, curl bottle towards shoulder for 16 reps. Repeat other side.
You may find you've worked up a bit of a sweat after these exercises, leaving you with some embarrassing sweat stains on your work clothes. If these stains persist you can use Vanish Oxi Action Gel to get rid of them. Find out more by clicking on the link above.