Office workers face an eternal struggle to stay fit and healthy due to the largely sedentary nature of their job. Early morning runs and late-night gym sessions aren’t always feasible, leaving weekends as the only opportunity for physical activity.
Apart from countless health benefits, being more active during the week can increase your productivity and mood at work, while freeing up more spare time without you feeling guilty about neglecting exercise.
The key to doing this is finding ways to incorporate movement into your day without needing to disrupt your schedule. You can make these 5 simple changes today to get the most out of your workday – your body will thank you!
Walk/Ride To Work
Walking or riding to work is the single most significant way to get more exercise in your work day, but can also be the most difficult. Living too far away, formal dress code, shortage of changing/showering facilities, time restrictions and weather conditions are among the deterrents to workers taking the active route. Any amount of walking or riding is hugely beneficial though – even if it means getting off the bus early or parking a short distance from the office. If your workplace allows it, wearing comfortable clothes suitable for exercise also means you’re more likely to keep active throughout the day.
Take Any Opportunity To Stand
Even during the busiest of workdays, finding time to simply get out of your chair can make a big difference. Initiating standing meetings instead of sitting, walking across the office rather than emailing a colleague, and investing in a sit-stand desk are all great ways of increasing movement throughout the day. The detrimental effects of prolonged sitting have been well documented, but thankfully they are easy to avoid.
Utilise Your Lunch Break
It may be tempting to eat lunch at your desk and power on through the day, but it’s critical that you take advantage of your allocated break time. Getting away from the desk and going for a walk (even a quick one around the block) is not only great for your physical health but can help clear your mind and increase productivity for the rest of the day. If you have an extended lunch break, try sneaking in a run or quick workout at the gym if you can!
Stretching
One of the easiest ways to get the blood flowing is stretching at your desk. This helps prevent posture problems, relax your muscles and clear your mind to increase productivity. Check out our post on the best office yoga poses to try out today!
Fitness Challenge/Social Sport
Staying active at work doesn’t have to be a chore! Make it fun and get the whole office involved with a weekly or monthly fitness challenge. Despite some heated debates over whether some foods were ‘healthy’, the team at Epic Office Furniture recently benefitted from a challenge involving tracking exercise, diet and water intake over a month. For extra exercise (and some free advertising), why not enter a team in a local social sporting team?
The benefits of staying active throughout the workday are too important to ignore. Incorporating any of these five steps into your day will go a long way to reducing health risks of a sedentary lifestyle.
