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12 Fitness Equipment You Can Use at Work

A lot of sitting is involved when one has an office job. While employees are used to sitting for long periods of time, doing so is actually detrimental to the body, especially when it comes to posture, flexibility, and mobility. Workers end up with a sedentary lifestyle and gain a higher risk of developing issues such as body pain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.

Equipping your workspace with desk exercise equipment can aid in alleviating such diseases and help you in keeping an active, healthy lifestyle. In this article, we listed down the best exercise equipment that you can use at work.

How Can I Incorporate My Fitness at Work?

It can be challenging to include any form of exercise throughout the day, especially if you’re someone who has a full-time job. At the end of the day, probably the last thing in your mind is to hit the gym and sweat it out. However, even if you have a 9 to 5 job where you sit at your desk too long, it’s important to find the time to take care of your health and well-being.

Due to prolonged sitting, a lot of workers end up with reduced physical activity and acquire a myriad of health issues instead. One of the ways to lessen the risk of sitting diseases is incorporating more movement throughout the day. Fortunately, you don’t have to exhaust yourself further after a long day at work just to go to the gym and get your workout on. Desk exercise equipment now exists, allowing you to workout while working. This way, you can achieve your fitness goals while checking off items on your task list. 


How Do I Secretly Workout at Work?

You might be thinking that it will be difficult to do some workouts in an office environment but we assure you, it won’t be hard to pull off at all. Some of these exercise equipment come in the form of ergonomic furniture and accessories, allowing you to exercise in subtle ways. Additionally, most desk exercise equipment have properties that make them whisper-quiet, allowing you to do an office workout without disturbing your co-workers.

Aside from ergonomic furniture and accessories, there are also small, portable workout equipment that you can store in your workstation and use while working or during your break time.


How Can I Exercise While I Work?

Working out while you work can be achieved in several ways. Whether your goal is to burn calories, lose weight, or have a more active lifestyle, here is a list of the best exercise equipment to keep in your office that can help you achieve any of them

Best Desk Exercise Equipment

Standing Desks

A standing desk comes with a ton of health benefits. One of the primary purposes of a standing desk is to allow you to adapt the sit-stand method of working, thereby incorporating more movement through your day and reducing your sitting time. 

Aside from that, a standing desk can help in circulating the blood in your legs and improve your posture as well. An adjustable standing desk also allows you to position it at your preferred height level, lowering the risk of neck pain and offering you optimal comfort as you work whether in a sitting or standing position.

Treadmill Desk

True to its name, this one is a combination of a treadmill and a desk. Treadmill desks can help you in getting your steps in throughout the day as you take on your tasks. It’s an effective way to bring the gym to the office and keeps you from being sedentary. Aside from increasing your energy and improving your productivity, a treadmill desk can also help in alleviating joint pain.

Balance Ball Chair

Trade in your traditional office chair for a balance ball chair instead. Unlike an office chair, a ball chair requires you to stay upright, therefore aligning your spine and improving your core strength. Sitting on one can also help improve your energy levels, making you feel alert and more lively through your day. It can also help relieve back pain and stiffness.

Resistance Chair

Here’s another alternative that you can use instead of the usual desk chair. A resistance chair is pretty much a chair-gym hybrid and can be useful if you don’t have a lot of time in your hands. This exercise equipment comes as a reinforced folding chair armed with tension bands on the sides that run on a pulley system. The bands can be used for your upper and lower body, as well as your core muscles, completing a total body workout.

Balance Board

Aiming to improve your balance and strengthen your core muscles? Then a balance board might be something that you’ll want to look into. A perfect accessory to a standing desk, a balance board can offer you a full body workout as you’ll have to engage not just your legs and feet, but your torso as well.

Under Desk Elliptical

One device that can help you in doing a low-impact office workout everyday is an under desk elliptical. As its name implies, this mini machine can be stored right under your desk, allowing you to be active while you sit. Having a pedal exerciser can keep you active even if you’re stuck in a conference call. Most under desk ellipticals are portable, discreet, and quiet, so you don’t have to worry about making noise while toning your legs. A lot of them also come with an adjustable resistance mechanism which you can easily adjust to your desired intensity level.

Mini Exercise Bike

Here’s another under desk machine that can help you lose more calories throughout the day. Just like the under desk elliptical, a mini desk bike can fit conveniently under your table for you to pedal on as you finish your deadlines. A desk cycle comes in pedal straps for you to use it as a bike, but it can also serve as handles for an arm or upper body workout when you place it on a table. Most exercise bikes have a magnetic resistance mechanism, allowing for a noiseless and smooth operation.

Yoga Mats

If you have your own office or a vast workspace, you might want to have a yoga mat around. While this one isn’t as discreet as the other fitness equipment in this list, having a yoga mat can aid you a lot with your exercise. Apart from yoga, you can use the mat for pilates, isotonic exercises like push-ups, and isometric exercises such as a plank. Best of all, it acts as a cushy surface for you, making it easy and convenient for your entire body as you do your quick workout in the office.


Portable Office Exercise Equipment

Free Weights

If you have very little space in your office and would like equipment that you can store easily in a drawer, then this one might be for you. Free weights, or dumbbells, are great to have around if you want to tone and focus on a certain muscle group, such as your arms, instead of your whole body. Dumbbells come in different weights and colors, allowing you to choose the size that offers enough resistance for you.

Ankle Weights and Wrist Weights

On the way to the office or need to coordinate matters between different floors? Workout on the go by using wrist and ankle weights! Most ankle/wrist weights are adjustable and can be easily strapped onto your person, ensuring they stay in place without being tight. They can help build body strength and aid in burning calories as you go about your day.

Resistance Bands

Similar to dumbbells, resistance bands are portable and subtle enough for you to get your workout on as you do your tasks. With bands, you can gain the benefits of resistance training and tone your muscles, especially around your chest, legs, glutes, and arms. You can also use them for strength training, pilates, and more. 

Aside from being portable, bands are also easy to assemble, light, and foldable for easy storage. Some bands are equipped with ankle straps, making them convenient to attach to your desk, door, or chair, so you can stay fit even if you’re busy with phone calls. 

Hand Exercise Balls

Reduce your stress and tension with this desk exerciser. A hand exercise ball helps in strengthening your grip and reducing your stress. You can think of them in the same vein as stress balls. If you do a lot of typing, you can also use them for relieving tension and reducing joint pain to avoid the risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

We hope we were able to help you out with your office workout. With this list, you can build your own mini gym in your workspace. There’s a lot of options to choose from, whether you have a wide work area or a smaller space. Use these equipment to be more physically active and to stay healthy and fit.

Tricia Montano

Tricia founded Pain Free Working in 2019 due to suffering from degenerative disc disease in her L5-S1 from working an office job for the past 18 years. She and her team strive on finding and reviewing the best office equipment to help fellow pain sufferers find relief and to enable people like her to do their jobs comfortably.