Working in an office during the summer can be especially grueling. Playful rays of warming sunshine peeking through the windows while you punch key after key. My particular office building looks out over the bay in Bellingham; gusts of the ocean air will float in through the open windows, teasing us about what we are missing. I grow particularly stir crazy, waiting for the phone to ring, waiting for the clock to strike 5:00.

A couple of weeks ago, I had an overwhelming feeling of, “I have to do something about this!” I’m not the first one to have ever experienced “office fever” in the middle of the summer. Especially in a community like Bellingham, where many use their bicycles as their main mode of transportation, and hiking is the number one recreational activity – being cooped up in an office can wear on you. I’ve compiled a list of small moments during my day that I dedicate to keeping my body moving during your regular office day.

1. Keep a small water bottle your desk and get up every hour to refill it.

You will stay hydrated while letting your limbs shake out and refresh before you sit back down. Staying hydrated can keep your body from crashing halfway through your workday. I used to keep a giant water bottle at my desk, and I never finished it. I ended up drinking less water and felt tired and unmotivated after lunch. With a smaller water bottle, I am reminded every time I finish it to get up, stretch out, and refill. Knocking out two healthy habits in one.

2. Do squats when you are stuck at the copy machine.

Nothing frustrates me more during my work day than standing at the copy machine while glittery gleams of sunshine pour into the office across the hall. Sometimes I’m stuck at that machine for almost an hour, depending on the details associated with the reams of paper I’m copying. I started doing sets of squats in between the stack of paper that I feed in and take out of the copy machine. Sometimes I get in 100 squats before I have to return to my desk.

3. Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator.

Climbing to the 10th floor is never the most appealing physical activity for my day; getting really sweaty before sitting in an office without air conditioning seems counter productive. But, climbing stairs will get your heart rate up and help condition your heart in the middle of the day. On average, a person burns just over 2 calories per flight of stairs climbed.

4. Do lunges back at your desk when your aren't in a hurry.

You won’t look so silly to your office mates when you are in a better mood from being active throughout your day! When the phone isn’t ringing, and your inbox isn’t overflowing, alternate right and left side lunges to get back to your desk.

5.Take a long stroll for your lunch.

Luckily, my office building is downtown and in a central location. Whether you are walking around downtown, taking a walk around the neighborhood, or strutting around campus, short walks help improve your mood and enhance your focus for the second half of your day. Especially when the days are consistently sunny, getting the extra Vitamin D works to help lower your blood pressure and strengthen your immune system.

6. Break up your tasks with stretches for your back and bum.

I spend a lot of my day, entering data, creating reports, or drafting legal documents; before I started to make a point to get up and move throughout my day, I could sit at my computer for hours without getting up. My knees and my back will start to stiffen up if I don’t keep my limbs loose. When I find myself at a halfway point in a task that I am working on, I will get up and get some fresh air from the window behind my desk. I will get up to tidy up the copy room or walk over to a coworker’s desk to touch base with them about other tasks and jobs.

7. Take a victory lap when your day is going your way.

When your day can’t get any better, and nothing can bring you down because your mood is elevated and you’ve managed to keep moving during your work day, take a victory trot around your office. Get up and inspire your office mates to do the same.