It’s no secret that exercise can improve your physical health, but did you know that it can improve your mental health too? Studies show that working out can ease symptoms of stress, depression, anxiety, and more.

Sounds great, right? But as many busy healthcare workers know, making time to work out after a long day can be challenging.

Luckily, there are ways to implement working out into your busy schedule – even while you’re at work. Taking 5 minutes of your day to exercise can make all the difference!

Here are 7 workouts you can try the next time you have a couple of minutes:

Calf Raises – While standing in an upright position, move the weight of your body onto the balls of your feet. Lift your heels as high as off the ground as you can. Repeat this movement for as long as you can.

Wall push-ups – Stand slightly more than arm’s length away from the wall, keeping your weight on the balls of your feet. Press your hands against the wall at shoulder height, slightly wider than your shoulders. Do a push-up motion against the wall, bending your elbows as you move your body toward the wall. Do as many as feels comfortable.

Wall squats – stand against the wall and drop your body down into a seated position, with your legs at a 90-degree angle. Hold this for as long as you can. You can make it your goal to hold it longer the next time!

Arm circles – While standing or sitting down, lift both arms straight out towards the sides of your body, resting at shoulder level. Rotate your arms forward, making a small circular motion with your hands. Do these 10 times before switching the direction of your hands. Repeat this as many times as you want to.

Oblique twists in a swivel chair – Sit up straight while flexing your abominable muscles, and place your feet firmly on the floor. With your arms resting on the armrests, use your lower body to twist the chair side to side while keeping your torso facing as forward as possible. Make a goal for yourself and set a timer to try to keep going until the time is up.

Abdominal squeezes – While walking or sitting, tighten all your core muscles. Squeeze your abdomen, holding for a few seconds. Repeat this throughout the day to feel the burn!

Seated leg raises – While sitting, plant one leg firmly on the ground, resting at a right angle. Lift your opposite leg, pointing straight away from your body. If you can, lift your upper leg off the chair to activate more leg muscles. Hold it for a few seconds when you get it to the top.

Healthcare is a valuable and rewarding field, but as we know, this does not make us immune to stress and burnout. Luckily, activities like exercise can help!

If self-care hacks aren’t cutting it for you, don’t worry – Loretto has resources available to employees who need additional help.

Learn more about the Loretto family and some of the resources available to our employees: https://lorettocny.org/about-us/careers/