12/17/2024
You’ve been a desk worker for several years now, have yo-yo’d in and out of a solid gym routine, and no longer live with your friend aka workout buddy to hold you accountable. You may have low or upper back pain from working at your desk, and you don’t have a lot of time. Now what?
You don’t need to exercise as much as you think to live a healthier life
According to the ACSM, it is recommended to perform 150 minutes/week of moderate aerobic activity (think fast walking, biking, and the elliptical), that is 30 minutes of cardio the 5 days a week you go to work, or 50 minutes 3x/week. Want to save time? Perform vigorous intensity exercise for a minimum of 20 minutes 3 times a week (think running and playing sports). That is pretty reasonable; remember, it does not need to be consecutive.
Strength training. The ACSM recommends weight training for every major muscle group at least 2x/a week. By superseding exercises, to minimize rest breaks and overall time in the gym, you can do both of those lifts in under an hour each.
What is my weekly exercise schedule as a desk worker?
The easy breakdown would be 2 days of full body strength training and 3 days of cardio. This also depends on your goals lets remember! These workouts only need to be between 30-45 minutes to reach the activity guidelines.
For example:
Monday Cardio
Tuesday Strength
Wednesday Cardio
Thursday Strength
Friday Cardio
How do you exercise regularly while being a busy working professional?
Schedule your workouts either right before or after work. We call this habit stacking (learn more about habit stacking here). Add it to your work-time to create a routine. I would recommend picking all mornings or evenings to help yourself stick to it for the long term. This requires packing a bag the night before, walking up on time, or going straight to the gym before going home. Trust me, once you get home, you will not be leaving to work out.
Personal Training For Busy Desk Workers
Get to it!! Need more? Check out my physical therapy and strength training services if you are interested. Don’t want to commit to sessions? Schedule a one time virtual assessment here, or just follow along for my free content on Instagram and Youtube.
