Your New Office (Workout) Routine

It’s a typical COVID-19, “new norm” workday in my backyard detached office (thank goodness this house had one when we bought it years ago). I see my patients via telehealth these days and my team of PTs take care of patients in the clinic when hands-on treatment is needed. 

Though I do really miss that face to face interaction with my patients, I have to say that working from home has had some wonderful benefits—my favorite being that I get to hop up front and hang out with the kids for short periods, multiple times a day. It’s awesome.

Of course, then I feel that I need to make up for those breaks with increased productivity, and though I’ve been warned against it, I find myself multitasking. 

Another area of my life that easily gets put on the back burner when I’m feeling rushed or pressured to be especially productive is… fitness.

Sound familiar?

This is a situation in which I think multitasking can be a really great thing. I’m actually writing this article with my computer perched in front of me as I cruise on my elliptical machine. Similar to the theme of my recent article on how sitting can shave years off your life, combining or squeezing in physical activity while we work can be quite easy to implement but have a huge impact on your health—as well as your productivity!

Maybe you’re in a similar situation of needing to be increasingly productive; perhaps health and fitness have taken a back seat in these challenging times as well.

That’s definitely the case for many of our clients, so today I want to share a simple strategy that has helped me to maintain a moderate level of physical activity as well as increased productivity.

If you don’t have, or want, a piece of equipment like an elliptical or treadmill desk where you can burn calories while working, consider this simple rule: 

Every time you enter or leave your workspace you have to do “X” number of bodyweight squats and push-ups, or whatever quick exercise-type movement you can comfortably do. 

Choose a few body-weight, low/no-equipment-needed options and put them in a rotation. Here’s a quick list of options:

• Push-Ups
• Pull-Ups
• Chin-Ups
• Squats
• Lunges
• Planks
• Side Planks
• Crunches
• Downward Dog to Cobra
• Kettlebell Swings

If you don’t work from home and think this may look a little strange in the office, try to get your coworkers to do it with you! 

It may sound annoying and a little crazy, but if you give it a try for just a few days it will not only feel like an easy habit to maintain, you’ll be feeling the wonderful benefits of increased strength, calorie burn, and well-being. 

Turn those coffee and bathroom breaks into muscle builders. Burn some calories right before consuming them at lunch. End your day feeling more fit and accomplished.

Trust me—just give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Jarod Carter PT, DPT, MTC is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the founder of Carter Physiotherapy, where active people in Austin go to quickly recover from injury so they can keep playing their sport, exercising, and enjoying life. Offering specialized hands-on manual therapy as well as online telehealth treatment options, all sessions are one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy and designed to get you maximal results as quickly as possible. Jarod is also the author of two books and has helped thousands of healthcare providers around the world to create private practices offering the highest level of treatment and care. Jarod provides monthly resources and discounts specifically for Austin Fit Magazine readers here: www.CarterPT.com/AFM