These 15 Workouts Are Essential If You Spend the Day Sitting

If you tend to spend most of the day sitting, it's really important to focus on strengthening your abs and lower back. These areas may get weakened from being in the same position for hours on end. Target bigger muscles like your booty and core to torch calories while gaining strength.

Go through this entire routine two to three times up to four times a week to strengthen your lower back and core!

Try these 15 office workouts that can help reverse the stiffness and soreness you may be experiencing from sitting.

Deadlift and Upright Row

Strengthens lower back, booty, hamstrings, and upper back.

• Begin standing with feet hip-width apart while holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Have a slight bend in your knees. Maintain a neutral curve in your lower back as you hinge from the hips and track the dumbbell past your shins.
• Return to standing position and slowly pull dumbbells up by your chest with elbows out to the side. That's one rep.
• Do 15 reps.

Side Lunge and Ab Twist

Tones entire booty, quads, and obliques.

• Stand with legs further than shoulder-width apart and toes pointed forward.
• Bend and lean into your left leg, making sure your knee doesn't go past your toes.
• Push off your left foot to a standing position and lift your left knee to right elbow.
• Land softly back into the side lunge.
• Do 15 reps.

Plank Hip Dips

A modification from the standard plank that further engages your core and strengthens your lower back.

• Begin in a plank position with elbows directly below shoulders.
• Make sure your hips don't drop or arch too high. Your back should be in a straight line.
• Tilt your hips toward the left side so that you almost touch the ground.
• Repeat on the right and continue alternating sides.
• Do 15 reps on each side.

Bent Leg Half Superman

Strengthens glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

• Begin laying on your stomach with legs bent and arms in front of you.
• Use your booty to lift your knees off the ground as high as you can go.
• Return to start.
• Do 15 reps.

Rock the Boat

You'll feel the burn in both your upper and lower abs.

• Begin seated in a boat-pose position with a dumbbell held between both hands in front of your chest.
• Twist upper body and weight to the right while keeping legs centered. Then twist to the left.
• Do 15 reps on each side.

Bridge

"This is a great exercise to use as a warmup," says Don. He also states that it, "activates your core and posterior chain (a fancy term for the backside of your body)."

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and your arms extended by your sides.
• Pushing through your feet and bracing your core, raise your bottom off the ground until your hips are fully extended, squeezing your glutes at the top.
• Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
• Do 15 reps.

Push ups

"Push-Ups are a great exercise that builds both upper-body and core strength," says Don.

• Get on the floor on all fours, positioning your hands slightly wider than your shoulders.
• Extend your legs back, balance on your hands and toes, and keep your body in a straight line.
• Before you begin, tighten your core by pulling your belly button toward your spine. 
• Inhale as you slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until they are at a 90-degree angle. Exhale as you contract your chest muscles and push back up through your hands to the start position.
• Repeat for 15 reps.

Lateral Squats

According to Don, this move is great for the lower body and targets your quads, hip adductors, and butt.

• Start with your feet wider than your hips and your knees and toes pointing forward.
• Shift your weight into your right heel, push your hips back, and bend that knee while leaving your left leg straight.
• Drive through your right foot to reverse the movement onto your left side.
• Repeat 15 reps for each side.

Jackknife Sit-Up

This move is low-impact, but a "challenging exercise for strengthening abdominal muscles," states Don.

• Lie flat on the floor with your arms and legs extended.
• Take a deep breath and as you exhale, contract your abs, raising your arms and legs together to bring your body in a V-shaped position.
• Do 15 reps.

Scissor Kicks/Flutter Kicks

Add this move to the list of exercises that blast your core.

• Lie on your back with your legs extended out in front of you.
• Place your arms by your sides, palms down. Engage your core by pressing your lower back into the mat.
• Lift both legs off the ground about 6 to 12 inches from the starting position (in this case, the floor) or about a 45-degree angle.
• With your core tight and neck relaxed, lower one leg toward the floor as you lift the other leg up. This is the start of the “scissoring” motion.
• Make sure each leg kick completes 15 reps.

Stationary Lunge

"Hit your quads, hamstrings, and glutes with a stationary lunge," comments Don.

• Split your stance with your right leg in front. Your right foot should be flat on the ground, and your left foot should be up on its toes.
• Bend your knees and lunge, stopping when your right thigh is parallel to the ground.
• Push up through your right foot to return to the starting position.
• Repeat for 15 reps, then switch legs and do 15 more.

Jump Switch Lunge

You're getting 2-for-1 with this move. Don states that not only is it "an excellent cardiovascular exercise, but it also helps develop and improve lower body strength and power."

• Start from the lunge position with one foot forward and one foot behind.
• Jump into the air, bring your feet quickly together and switch positions as you begin to land.
• Drop into the lunge position as you land to prepare for the next jump.
• Repeat 15 reps for both sides.

Forearm Plank

According to Don, this is "a full-body exercise that requires strength and balance, planks put the core into overdrive."

• Assume a plank position on your forearms.
• Your body should form a straight line from head to feet. Ensure your lower back and hips don’t sag.
• Hold the position for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Side-Lying Hip Abduction

Your glutes will be activated and, no surprise here, so will your hip flexors.

• Lie on your left side, with your left leg straight, right leg straight, and right foot resting on the ground.
• Lift your right leg up, maintaining the position of your body. Make sure your hips don’t open up.
• Return to the start position.
• Repeat for 15 reps, then do the other side for another 15 reps.

Wall Squats

Your lower body will feel like Jell-o after wall squats. They help build strength in your glutes, calves, quads, and even abs.

• Stand with your back to a wall and sink down to a seated position with your thighs parallel to the floor and feet shoulder width apart.
• Let the wall support your back and be sure to continue breathing.
• Now hold the position for 20 to 30 seconds.