Let's face it, sitting on your tush from 9 to 5 and lounging in front of the television at night isn't doing anything for your health or appearance. When the pounds start adding up, it increases your vulnerability to various medical conditions. To protect your health, exercise at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. If you lack time, invest in a mini stepper and place it under your desk at work so you can kill two birds with one stone.
Store a set of dumbbells in your desk drawer so you can give your upper body a workout while you're using the mini stepper.
Consult a doctor before using a mini stepper, especially if you've been inactive or have a health condition or injury.
Step 1
Position the stepper flat on the floor underneath your desk in the area where your feet normally rest. Ideally, put a rubber mat under the stepper so it stays put.
Step 2
Remove the trendy work shoes you're wearing and slip into a comfortable pair of athletic shoes. Avoid using the mini stepper while barefoot or wearing socks. Roll or lift up the bottom of long slacks or skirt to keep it from getting stuck in the stepper.
Step 3
Press the power button to turn on the stepper and set the resistance knob to minimal.
Step 4
Place both your feet flat on the pedals of the mini stepper and press the raised pedal down so the opposite pedal comes up. Repeat the motion with your other leg and continue pedaling at a comfortable pace for at least five minutes. This is your warm-up, which prepares your body for the more intense exercise to come.
Step 5
Remove your feet from the pedals and slightly increase the resistance of the mini stepper to a more challenging setting. Place your feet back on the pedals and continue stepping for 10 minutes, moving your feet slightly faster so you start to breath heavier than you did during the warm-up. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, gradually increase your workout duration, aiming to complete 30 minutes per day.
Step 6
Reduce the resistance of the stepper to minimal, and slow your step rate for five minutes to cool down. Do some light stretches after finishing your workout.
Tips
Warnings
References
Tips
- Store a set of dumbbells in your desk drawer so you can give your upper body a workout while you're using the mini stepper.
Warnings
- Consult a doctor before using a mini stepper, especially if you've been inactive or have a health condition or injury.
Writer Bio
Kimberly Caines is a well traveled model, writer and licensed physical fitness trainer who was first published in 1997. Her work has appeared in the Dutch newspaper "De Overschiese Krant" and on various websites. Caines holds a degree in journalism from Mercurius College in Holland and is writing her first novel.