Tax preparation often required sitting for longer periods of time than we’d like. Our bodies get stiff and our brains get tired.

“Tax workouts” was a term I came up with while sitting for way too long during the past 3 Sundays while putting all my tax materials together for our accountant. It was the 5 minute breaks I would take each hour and do a mini workout for 5 minutes to release the tension in my body, give my eyes a break from the computer and refresh my brain so I could work more effectively for the next hour.

The workouts do not require any equipment and you don’t need very much space to do them. They can be as long or short at you want them to be, but I found 5 minutes to be a good amount (long enough to give the body and brain a break but not so long that I didn’t want to return to my work).

The workouts can be anything you feel like doing but I found that cardio was most effective in helping me to feel refreshed. Here are some examples of mini workouts you could try:

• Put some music you love on and have a little dance party by yourself, releasing shoulders, hips, neck and whole body in any way that feels good while focusing on the music.

• Set a repeating timer for 1 minute and do a set of (low or high impact) jumping jacks, walking or running in place, ski hops or jumps, seal jacks, and speed skaters.

• Set a timer for 2:30 minutes and take a brisk 5 minute walk, turning back once your timer goes off at the halfway mark.

• Set a repeating 30 second timer and do 2 sets of each: lunges, tricep dips, arm circles (backwards to open up the chest and front of your shoulders), bridge hip raises, abdominal windshield wipers.

• You can also use weights or bands if you have access to them and do whatever exercices you want during your 5 minute break or just use the time to stretch in ways that feel good to you.

Final Note:

The possibilities for what you could do are endless and there is no wrong way to do your workouts (or stretching) as long as it feels good to you and there is no pain in your body as a result of any of your movements.

If you are giving yourself that 5 minute break away from your computer and moving your body, you will feel better and your brain will work more effectively as you sit for the next hour.

Who knew taxes and working out could be so much fun?! OK, maybe I am pushing it a little bit there, but it is gratifying to get both taxes and a workout done at the end of the day.