What if you can turn your day at the office into an extended gym session and burn calories while you work? You can! ECR Life tells you how….

Keeping fit and fabulous at work – how awesome does that sound! Fitness expert and TV personality, Lisa Raleigh*, says we can burn at least an extra 100 calories every day while at work:

Get those feet moving
Walk briskly for 10 mins. Instead of a coffee break, take a stroll around your office or around the block in your lunch time or tea break.

Lisa side-stepping

Move whilst you wait
If you had to add up all the time you spend waiting in a day you’ll be surprised at how much down time you’d total – so use that time to move!  Do side-kicks whilst you wait for the kettle to boil or squeeze your abs whilst waiting for your emails to download or squeeze your butt whilst talking to a colleague.

Turn off technology
Rather than sending your colleagues an email – walk to their offices or desks.  Meet for a lunch/tea time walk instead of chatting on the phone.

And the clock strikes 10!
When the clock strikes a new hour – that’s your cue to move!  Get up from your desk and do 10 push ups, 10 dips, and 1 minute of ab crunches – if you did this 5 x a day it will accumulate to be approx 10 mins of exercise.

Take the stairs
In just 10 mins of climbing stairs, a 60kg woman will burn almost 80 calories. (That’s almost a slice of bread!)

Lisa takes the stairs

Engage in phone exercise
Put your multitasking talent to work. Whilst chatting on the phone, walk around, climb stairs, do squats, lunges, side kicks or calf raises.

Step it up
Get a pedometer and track how many steps you take each day. You should aim for 10 000.  Find ways to increase your daily steps by parking further away and walking, taking the stairs etc

Do a few stretches and deep breathing exercises.
This is to relieve muscle aches and tension and to increase oxygen to the brain.  This will improve your memory – bonus!

Have a walking meeting
Grab your colleagues and discuss business whilst taking a walk

Snack on fruit

Lisa Raleigh

How to reduce calorie consumption by 100 calories a day
Portion distortion
Don’t feel obligated to devour everything on your plate – just eat 50% – 75% of what you dished up.

Kick the sugar habit
Instead use xylitol (a sugar substitute) or organic honey to keep your blood sugar stable for longer and leaving you less likely to crash and crave

Savour the moment
Racing through a meal could make you eat more, as your brain has not sensed that you are satisfied.  Savour your food and make it last 15 – 20 mins.

Snack wisely
Choose healthy snack options like fruit, raw unsalted nuts, sun dried fruit, Ryvitas with cottage cheese or peanut butter, veggie sticks with hummus, smoothies, yoghurt or pretzels as apposed to nutrient deficient, calorie ridden choices like biltong, chips, biscuits, sweets, cakes or salted nuts.  These will leave your blood sugar yo-yo-ing all day making you feel grumpy, lack concentration and of course make you gain weight!

Cut the dough
Decrease the wheat and carbs damage by eating open-faced sandwiches and chose multigrain or low GI bread.  The fibre will keep you fuller for longer

Condiments are the enemy
Trade one tsp of mayo for 1 tsp of mustard / tom sauce and save 50 calories.  Swop the salad dressings for balsamic vinegar or lemon juice and halve your calories consumed!

If eating at the canteen- order dressings, sauces and gravies on the side.  Only use 1/2 the serving and only if absolutely necessary

Try pastas with tomato based sauces instead of creamy sauces and broth based soups instead of creamy soups.

Don’t butter your bread

Choose grilled veg, a side salad or bean salad on the side, together with a baked potato or rice instead of onion rings, potato salad, mash or chips.

Eat breakfast
It has a noticeable effect on a person’s performance during the day.  It increases your metabolic rate all day long too!

Drink water
Take your body weight and divide it by 10 to get the accurate amount of water you should be drinking per day. Water keeps you hydrated, alert and toxin free!

Skip the coffee

Swop regular tea/coffee for herbal teas, rooibos tea or chicory coffees. It’s not 100% the same I know! But quitting caffeine does wonders for rehydrating you, reducing cellulite, water retention, headaches, constipation and high blood pressure!

Swop salt for Himalayan rock salt – salt also retains water and dehydrates you. Himalayan rock salt has minimal sodium content and adds essential minerals and trace elements to your diet as well. What a win!

If you have a question for Lisa, email life@ecr.co.za with “Fitness and Wellness” in the subject line.
Please note that the questions and answers will be published on ECR Life so should you wish to remain anonymous, make this clear in your email.

*Lisa Raleigh is best known as the trainer on SA’s The Biggest Loser and is involved in numerous other TV projects. She’s been an exercise specialist for nine years and is  the owner of the VO2 Max private gym and the Lisa Raleigh Weight Loss and Wellness clinic. She can be contacted on 031 201 8585.