Being tied down to a nine-to-five job can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. You will be sitting in front of the computer most of the time, which means you will not be burning as much caloriescompared to someone with a more active work life.
Having to be at work on time every single work day also means you will not have enough time for exercise in the morning. When your workload piles up and you have to work overtime, you definitely will not have time to exercise after work either.
Add this all up and it is no wonder that most people who hold office jobs find it very difficult to lose weight.
Yes, it is difficult to lose weight if you have a busy schedule. But it is not impossible.
There are actually many ways for you to lose weight even with your hectic work schedule. Here are the top three ways you can get a slimmer waistline:
1. Be a morning person.
Sure, it is easier said than done. However, the benefit of becoming a morning person is tremendous. Train yourself to wake up at least an hour more than the usual time you do. With this extra hour, you can use it for your morning exercises. They do not have to be heavy exercises that will drain your energy for the day.
Here is a simple exercise regimen that can help you burn those unwanted fats and still have enough energy to get you through the day. Spend 10 minutes to do some light exercises for warm ups. Do some stretching exercises to loosen up your muscles. This is a good way to prevent injuries.
After the stretching exercises, proceed to build your cardio and burn away the calories with a 30-minute jog. Every 5-minute interval, do a 30-second dash and use another 30 seconds to slow down and go back to your usual jogging pace. This will help your body burn extra calories than the usual jogging exercises.
Devote 15 minutes after jogging to do some basic exercises like push-ups and sit-ups. These exercises can help strengthen your core as well as burn more calories to help you lose weight and have a firmer body.
You can use the remaining five minutes to do some light exercises again to help your body cool down. See? This one hour workout can help you start the day right! You can even start with 30-minute workouts if you want. Just increase your workout time when you are already comfortable being a morning person.
2. Do some calorie-burning activities during office breaks.
What do you usually do during office breaks? If you are like most busy office person, you would probably be taking a coffee break with your office pals—or maybe you have a smoke with them.
If you usually do these things during break time, you have to make it a point to stop. There are a lot of ways to help you lose weight during office breaks. If you are really determined to lose weight, do some activities that help burn calories. Take a short walk. It can be for as short as 15 minutes.
If you are really bent on shedding those extra pounds, you can do this short 10-minute workout. Just bring an extra shirt to use during the workout so you will not get your office attire all sweaty.
Start off with 2 minutes of light stretching exercises. Spend the next 8 minutes doing 3 sets of pushups, with 10 to 15 reps per set. Do another round of light stretching exercises for the last 2 minutes. Make sure to rehydrate afterwards.
3. Watch what you eat at work.
When you are at work, it is easier for you to fall into the “food trap”. Due to your busy schedule, you will be more prone to eat pizzas, fries and burgers due to the convenience of buying from fast food chains. Your officemates may also invite you to have a drink after work. Beer and other liquor can increase your waistline faster than you can say “One more round”.
Therefore, it is very important for you to watch what you are eating when you are at work.
A great way to start losing weight is to bring healthy food to work for you to munch on during breaks and when you are hungry. You can bring an apple since it is easier to munch on and it isn’t as messy as eating oranges in the office. Eating a banana is also good due to its high potassium content, which can help prevent cramps when you work out.
Do not make your busy office schedule an excuse not to lose weight. Cultivate your self-discipline to help you stick to your workout regimen and avoid eating junk and fast foods. Do this and you will be surprised at how many pounds you’ll shed after a couple of weeks.
Author Bio:
Ashley Corde is a freelancer who enjoys writing about weightloss and has been searching for the best weight management program. She loves to travel and always ready for some fun and adventure.