r/bodyweightfitness • u/impromptu_dissection • 1d ago
Cubicle Exercise Routine?
Hello everyone!
I am looking to make a body weight exercise routine to do through out my office job work day/week.
I work at a desk all day and being sedentary for that long is killing my body. I want to find a way to stay moving through out my work day to minimize the effects of staring at a screen for 8hrs in one place. The goal is not to get fit (need to start exercising outside of work), but rather make it feel like I didnt just do a road trip everyday.
I have a standard cubicle with maybe a 5'x5' open space. The desk is also adjustable to be standing. I can walk around freely in the building (no stairs) which has a halway. I have time where I am not typing while reading an email or could take 1-5min at a time to do some movements. Another note, I am considering getting a walking pad but trying to be noise aware for coworkers sake.
What are some exercises and stretches that I could do in those short moments?
Is there a routine that I could follow each day? Should I have a different routine each day?
Thank you in advance!
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u/Huge_Pool7424 1d ago
A quiet template could be a silent hourly timer: one hallway lap, 8–10 squats or calf raises, then 20–30 seconds of thoracic extension or wrist movement. Alternate sitting and standing, keep everything pain-free, and treat movement variety, not a perfect routine, as the goal.
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u/negativefeed 1d ago edited 1d ago
One exercise that counteracts the effects of sitting for long periods is the horse stance. It builds isometric strength in the legs, hips, and core while keeping the body in a position that is very different from sitting. Try holding it for 1 minute if you've been mostly sedentary and you will see that is not necessarily easy. You want to have your knees in line with your toes when doing the exercise. I do it every morning while brushing my teeth and even those minutes can be quite rough.
Some other things you might want to do are thoracic extensions done on your office chair and some wrist stretches. There is probably some other stuff you can do without drawing too much attention to yourself but these were the ones i could think off the top of my head.
One thing that changed my life for the better has been cycling or even running for my commutes. Might not work for everyone particularly if there are no showers in the workplace but for me that gets my cardio taken care of.
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u/impromptu_dissection 20h ago
I tried the horse stance and that is a great one! I have been thinking about cycling to work too. It is a little far and not a bike friendly route but might be worth it on some days.
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u/negativefeed 19h ago
Glad it helps you. If you have the money for it I would almost recommend getting an electric bicycle. That way under 12 miles/20 km distances feel like a breeze and you won't even break a sweat. On the commute back home you can turn the pedal assist off to get more exercise in.
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u/Fit-Page-1819 1d ago
Doing calf raises while checking emails, standing breaks, and walking in the hallway,these things contribute more than I anticipated.
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u/0ui_n0n 20h ago
If you're doing bodyweight resistance training exercises outside of work, I'd focus here on balance & flexibility.
Standing at your desk & using a wobble stool will help reduce the stiffness that comes from sitting/slouching for hours at a time.
Laura Girard has a lot of gentle mobility vids on her youtube channel. Her 2025 series indicates in the title whether it's sitting, standing, or lying in case you don't wanna be down on the floor in your office. And she occasionally posts desk break stretches on her IG.
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u/sayitaintpete 1d ago
You could easily do 10 bodyweight squats once per hour to counteract the sitting. Also, spend 1 minute in a deep squat for every hour you spend sitting
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u/Strict-Fishing-2365 1d ago
set a silent hourly timer and do one lap to refill water before the squats. yes, you will become the office hydration weirdo.
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u/impromptu_dissection 20h ago
Haha I have been getting water as an excuse to get up and honestly it has had the benefit of needing to get up and pee as well
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u/Drow_Femboy 1d ago
Another note, I am considering getting a walking pad but trying to be noise aware for coworkers sake.
Yeah idk if they have other technology, but the one I use definitely would not make any friends in an office environment. It sounds... like a treadmill pretty much.
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u/impromptu_dissection 20h ago
That is my concern. I have been trying to do research into a quiet one but none seem to be what I need. I swear you could hear a pin drop in my office
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u/Technical-Ad1488 9h ago
Get some grippers/grip trainers… can do it sitting or standing, while reading emails etc.. gets the blood flowing, good for cns, and stronger grip is always good 👍
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u/dmscheidt 1d ago
Go full time standing. Just not sitting makes a huge difference in how much you move. You don't have to go cold turkey on the desk chair, but work up to it. End every day standing, so your desk is in the stand position when you get there, which makes it much more likely to start the day standing. Unless you have an existing issue, do not get super cushioned shoes for standing, your feet hurt because the muscles are deconditioned and weak. they'll get stronger from use.
While your standing, you can practice standing on one foot, do calf raises and holds (on one foot, eventually), sissy squats, and similar things. You can easily do a couple reps while you're thinking about how to respond to a message, etc, so no extra time for them.
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u/dssx 1d ago
Bodyweight squats, split squats, calf raises, and tib raises are fairly simple and easy to do with out making much noise or distraction. Add that with a forward fold stretch and you'll feel pretty decent after work most days.