Desk Exercises to Keep Warm

Constant air conditioning can make it hard to keep warm in the office, but staying active at your desk helps your body combat the chill. Exercise increases your metabolism, and your metabolism produces heat as a waste product. Your heart then pumps the heat in your blood away from your muscles and to your skin, warming your entire body. Keep your muscles working and heart pumping to stay comfortable in a cold office.

You may look ridiculous, but this exercise stretches your arms and upper back and increases your metabolism to keep you warm. Start by pumping one of your arms over your head. Make a fist with your hand and extend your arm directly over your head. Bring your arm back down and repeat the exercise four more times. Pump your other arm over your head an additional five times, then pump both arms over your head at the same time five times. Once you've completed this cycle, repeat it four times. This exercise should only take you about a minute, so you can perform it whenever you're feeling chilly and not miss out on any important e-mails.

Jogging gets the heart pumping, and you can simulate the movement without leaving your chair. Slide away from your desk to avoid hitting your knees on it. Move your toes and ankles around a bit to loosen them up. Lift your knees individually as high as you can and as quickly as you can for two minutes without stopping. Tighten your abdominal muscles while you jog to strengthen your core. Chair jogging may even make you sweat.

Seated crunches provide a short core and inner-thigh workout to increase your metabolism and keep you warm. Sit toward the edge of your chair and put your hands on the armrests. Hold onto the edges of the seat if your chair doesn't have armrests. Sit with your knees together and your feet on the floor, then lift your knees toward your chest. Hold your knees as high as you can for one second, then lower them back to the ground slowly. Keep your back straight and use your abs to raise and lower your legs. Time yourself for 30 seconds on this exercise and don't be afraid to perform it multiple times throughout the day to warm yourself up and even burn a few calories.

Exchange your standard desk chair for an inflatable exercise ball to work your muscles and improve your circulation. The instability of the ball causes it to roll slightly when you move, so practice balancing on the exercise ball for short amounts of time before you use it at your desk. Once you're comfortable using the ball, the slight but constant neuromuscular activity keeps your heart pumping and blood flowing, making you warmer. Sitting on an exercise ball tones your core muscles and forces you to balance too. While your co-workers may wonder what you're doing, you'll feel warmer in the office and even improve your fitness.