You know that working off extra pounds can mean time spent on fierce exercise, but it can also be something easy that you can do from your chair.
Belly fat is a marker for cardiovascular and other diseases. According to Harvard Health, “a large study of European women ages 45 to 79 concluded that those with the biggest waists (and those with the largest waists in relation to their hip size) had more than double the risk of developing heart disease.” Keeping your heart healthy and lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease means getting rid of your belly fat and deeper visceral fat.
You’ve heard this many times: Sitting all day is bad for your health. But despite all the doctors’ advice to move every hour, the reality is that such advice is not very realistic for most of us. Fortunately, even if you are stuck in your chair for an extended period of time, you can still exercise to get rid of muscle cramps.
Your abdominal muscles are just waiting for you to try these 6 exercises so they can reveal themselves to you underneath that fat layer.
We asked fitness coaches to select stretching and strength exercises for you that you can do without leaving your desk. While they may not produce the same results as going to the gym or running, remember that when it comes to exercise, each option helps.
Exercises you can do while sitting
1. squats
Benefits: Shoulders and Triceps Work
How to do it:
- Sit on the edge of a chair with your arms at your sides, fingers holding the edges of the seat.
- Shift your weight forward and lower yourself down from the chair.
- Keep your body suspended for 5 seconds and then push it back into the seat.
- Work up to 3 sets of 10 reps.
