The ultimate office routine for better health & lower body fat
Staying fit and healthy can be tough when you spend most of your day sat down. Cameron Harris, founder of Cameron Harris Transformations, looks at how you can get fit and stay healthy during office hours.
Working in an office. It demands a lot from your body and mind. It’s not natural in fact to be sitting down for 7 hours a day. Our bodies are made to move, to be outside and eat seasonally. The back pain, the stomach fat that you cannot shift, the mental and physical exhaustion, its unavoidable right? Is there a way to remain healthy and lower body fat in the office?
I mean when do you get a chance to exercise and eat healthily? You are busy from the second you sit at your desk to the second you rush out of the door to catch the train. Well, I am here to tell you that it is very possible to stay lean, feel healthy and supercharge your energy with not a huge amount of effort on your part.
Step forward the ‘lunch break routine‘. Yes, your lunch break is the very best time to raise your heart rate, increase your stamina, burn fat and improve your health.
I will be honest with you now – it’s not just a matter of going for a walk, but more of a three stage process. But if you implement it into your working week, the results will be remarkable. Follow these three steps below to take advantage of the ‘lunch break routine’:
1) Hydrate yourself
Wow, that was a tough one. I cannot express in words how important this is for your system. I know for a fact that the large majority of the people reading this will be dehydrated, this becomes especially important for office workers. Your body runs on a circulatory system which is powered by your heart and lungs. The heart and lungs deliver life giving blood to every single organ in your body. If you are dehydrated (which you probably are) your blood is viscous, meaning your heart is working overtime to pump maple syrup around your system. Partner that with sitting down all day and your body is working so much harder to keep you alive. Imagine how much easier it would be for your system if your blood was more like water, thin and easy to pump around your system. Drinking 3 litres per day (just do it) will lead to, more energy, better focus, a leaner physique, brighter eyes, clearer skin, more motivation, and a more efficient cardiovascular system which will make exercising and recovering so much easier.
2) Cut refined and unhealthy foods from your diet
You have probably heard this a thousand times, but what does it mean? How can you eat healthily when you eat out for lunch or grab something every day? Well, I recommend that you cut out bread, dairy and pasta (I know, killer right!) Simple. So what can you eat? Stick to any protein source, meat, fish, nuts, seeds or eggs. Add in a good portion of green vegetables and a touch of rice, bulgur wheat, or quinoa, now we are talking. If you’re eating out with clients, follow the same guideline. I am sorry, but I have to mention alcohol. Alcohol is a huge factor in keeping body fat levels down, if you drink during the week, you are going to have a higher body fat percentage. If you must drink, then stick to clear spirits with slimline tonics or sodas.
3) Finally, exercise
Avoid overwhelm and do not concern yourself with the idea that you must train for an hour and a half a day to stay healthy and lean, it’s simply incorrect. When you tighten your diet up, the exercise that you do becomes so much more effective. I am recommending just 20 – 30 mins of cardio, I bet that has surprised you!? You see it’s all about the quality of the exercise, not about the quantity. If you visit the gym 4 times per week for 20 – 30 minutes and hit the rower, the bike or the runner hard, you can expect to see the benefits within just a few weeks. Trust me, following my three steps and implementing it into your lunch break will work, you just have to be consistent.
To summarise
- Drink three litres of water every single day;
- Cut refined foods and limit alcohol; and
- Exercise four times per week for 20 to 30 mins. Use the cardio machines, or go outside.
Raise your heart rate and get a sweat on.
