21 Sep 5 Toning Every Day Desk-Ercises for a Summer Body

The days are getting longer, the sun is shining warmer and the first hints of beach weather have started making their appearance. Yup, summer is just around the corner and I simply cannot wait to welcome it with open arms.

Now, while I’ve always believed that the best way to get a bikini body is simply to put your body into a bikini and voila, I have to admit that this year I’m feeling a little less confident. For some reason, it feels like winter has left me feeling more flabby than usual and not entirely sundress-ready… let alone anything revealing my upper thighs!

Of course, I’ve started fighting the flab by taking long, fast walks, heading out for the odd hike and establishing a somewhat wonky at-home yoga practice, but the long hours spent at my desk often feel counterproductive. Fortunately, I recently discovered a few simple toning exercises to do while sitting.

If you’re battling with similar summer-body-readiness anxiety, why not try these five yourself?

BUTT CLENCHES

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Butt clenches are probably the easiest and most fuss-free toning exercise you can do while sitting at your desk.

Simply squeeze your buttocks together and hold for 10 – 20 seconds. Do five sets of 10 reps and see your booty lift and take shape by the day!

CALF SCULPTING

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Another fun and stealthy bit of toning you can do while answering emails or discussing important matters over conference calls is to lift your heels off the ground so your feet are right on their tippy toes.

Hold this position for about 10 seconds (or until your calf muscles start burning), then lower your heels once more. Repeat 10 times at regular intervals throughout the day.

FIX YOUR POSTURE WITH THE “ICE CUBE” TRICK

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Even though we tend believe that shapely legs and a six-pack are the solution to all our summer body woes, having good posture can go a long way to help you look your very best.

Since we tend to hunch over our computers at work, the ideal of a poker straight back and square shoulders is pretty difficult to maintain.

However, you can remedy this by pulling it together every so often during the day. A really good way of doing this is to simply write ‘ICE CUBE’ on a little piece of paper and sticking it to the frame of your PC or somewhere in your cubicle. Every time you look at it, just imagine someone dropping a block of ice down your back and you’ll instantly straighten up!

SNEAKY STOMACH CRUNCHES

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Sitting in your chair lean back slightly, pull your belly button in towards your spine and then lift both feet off the floor just a couple of inches.

Hold for a few seconds before lowering to the ground. Start by doing 10 – 15 repetitions and then increase the number as your core strengthens.

KNEE SQUEEZE FOR SEXY INNER THIGHS  

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Inner thighs are a notoriously hard part of the body to tone up. Make sure this soft part of your leg gets as much attention as all the rest with this quick and easy desk-xercise.

Sit in your chair with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a rolled-up towel or sweater between your knees, then squeeze the towel by pressing your knees together.

Hold for 30 seconds, relax for five seconds then repeat. Complete 10 repetitions of the exercise.

BONUS: THE 20-MINUTE RULE

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Finally, make sure you keep moving throughout the day by getting up from your desk at least every 20 minutes. Go grab a refill at the water cooler, go say hi to a friend on the other side of the office or even take a stroll outside.

This will do wonders to ease tension and keep the blood flowing. Not to mention, it’s great for the mind as well.