Exercises to do at work

Many of us have desk jobs or jobs where we are stationary for long periods of time so here are some exercises to do at work.

There are many exercises we can do to release stiffness, get the blood flowing and to generally lift our moods whilst at work -  I'm sure we all want to be more effective and happy with our jobs!

Below are some examples of belly dancing exercises to do at work:

Desk exercises, exercises to do on the bus, in the car or on the train:

• Belly dance tummy pops ( contracting your entire tummy muscles, think of pulling your navel towards you spine, the action is - belly button in towards your spine then release/let it go) but remember to breath normally! Repeat this action - in out, in out Be sure you are not 'sucking' your belly in but actually squeezing/contracting the muscles.
• Upper abs contractions (contracting upper abs only, imagine a 6 pack of tummy muscles separating your 6 pack muscles into 3 separate parts, top 2, middle 2 bottom 2. Then only contract the top 2, think of squeezing them up and under your rib cage)
• Lower ab contractions (contracting lower abs only, again imagine separating your "6 pack" muscles and only squeeze/contract the last 2 right down in your pelvis area. imagine peeling you lower abs away from your clothes)
• Belly rolls (keeping the contraction moving from upper abs, to middle abs, to lower abs and reverse it! All the way down through the '6 pack' muscles. Belly rolls are also good for giving your internal organs a gentle massage!
• Rib cage slides (sliding your ribcage from right to left, keep the abs engaged and imagine your ribcage is on train tracks and it can only glide from side to side!)

Excercises to do at the printer, waiting for the train or bus and or waiting for the kettle to boil!:

• Shimmies! Shimmies are really good for releasing tension, getting the blood flowing around our bodies, boosting our mood and energy levels and giving us a radiant glow. All types of shimmies are good!
• The best thing about doing shimmies at the bus stop or train station during winter is that you can totally get away with it as it's sooooo cold - people will just think you are shivering! They'll have no idea that you are secretly getting your shimmie on! And under that big winter coat no one will ever know!

Excercises to do during our lunch break:

• You could do an online belly dance class with me in your lunch break, my online belly dance classes are available to watch on your mobile phone and of course on a computer. Just find a space in the building somewhere and dance! why not get a colleague to join you?! It is a proven fact that dancing not only has its obvious health benefits, but it also makes you smarter due to the way we use our brains. Dancing also lifts our moods and reduces stress. And since belly dancing is all about dancing with and using our muscles including our brain we are getting a very thorough and holistic workout - A great way to feel better at work!

• After work you can challenge your brain to learning something new, whilst getting fit and toning up after sitting down all day (if you have a job that involves alot of sitting down) Dancing is a challenge for the brain and belly dance is brain food! Learning new things keeps our brains active as we need to build new synapses pathways in order to learn how to do something that is new to us. Take a belly dance class after work, and feel really good about yourself. Can't get to a class?  Then take a belly dance class with me online instead from the comfort of your own home! Simply grab some water, throw on your workout gear, log in and press play!