Easy arm-toning workouts for the office

Spend 10 minutes of every working day building up resistance at work. You have everything you need in the office to keep your arms in great shape.

• Desk curl: Place your palms against the underside of your desk with your elbows bent. Push up into the desk with your palms, as if you were trying to lift the desk off the floor. Hold for a count of five, release, then repeat until you feel the burn. This strengthens your biceps.
• Desk push: Place your palms against the top of your desk with your elbows bent. Press into the desktop with all your might. Hold for a count of five, release, then repeat until you feel the burn. This strengthens your triceps.
• Desk push-up: Stand about a half-metre (one and a half feet) away from your desk. Keep your feet in place and lean forward from your ankles, placing your palms on top of the desk. Your body should form a straight line from your ankles to your head. Bend your elbows as you lower your chest towards the desk. Straighten your elbows as you push away. Keep your elbows in close to your sides the entire time. This works your triceps.

These types of exercise are performed against something that doesn't move, like a wall. By pushing against the immovable object, tension builds up in your muscles, increasing their strength. Hold each for five to eight seconds, and repeat five to ten times.

• Press your hands together as hard as you can ten times for five seconds at a time. This will really make a difference to your arm strength after a couple of weeks. Try it every time you sit down to watch TV.
• Stand with your legs apart about 30 centimetres (one foot) from the wall and push against the wall as if you were trying to move it.
• Stand in the doorway with your legs straight and knees locked. Press your hands upwards against the top of the door frame, holding for several seconds, then relaxing. Repeat at least ten times.
• Extend both arms to the side of the doorway with your palms shoulder high, facing outwards. With both arms, press hard against the sides of the door frame. Hold for several seconds, relax, then repeat up to 10 times.
• Extend both arms to the sides of the doorway, arms down, palms facing in. With the back of your hands, press hard against the sides of the frame. Hold for a few seconds, relax, then repeat up to 10 times.