Too much sitting is bad for health and all-day desk jobs are quite common nowadays. The sad part is that the sedentary job can be a catalyst for future medical conditions.
Now, you might argue with me on this that where is the time to be active at the workplace? Yes, finding time to exercise at work can be challenging but incorporating a little activity in the way you work itself can go hand in hand and help you to eliminate health risks along with increasing your work productivity. Here are a few tips to be active at your work.
Walk or Ride a Bike to Work
Everyone does not stay close to their workspace and cannot walk or ride a bike all the way. A more realistic approach is to get down of the bus a few blocks away from your office or get down at the subway and walk a little distance to your office every day as each step matters. You can park your car in a parking lot a few kilometers away and walk the rest of the distance.
Dich the Elevator, Take the Steps
It is needless to say that the best way to keep yourself active at the workplace is to walk as much as you can hence avoid taking elevators and climb up and down the stairs instead.
Quit Sitting, Stand and Work
Sitting and working the entire day is the root cause of obesity and other medical conditions related to it such as diabetes and heart disease. An alternate way of working without sitting the entire day is to ditch sitting while working and instead get a height adjustable standing desk to work.
Take Fitness Breaks
A workplace does not always demand you to only work the entire time. You can definitely take a few short breaks and instead of just lazing in a sofa sipping coffee, take a brisk walk around the office. Take a few flights of stairs or do some stretches. You can also ditch the intercom and walk to your colleagues to discuss the work.
Count Your Steps
Getting a fitness tracker to count your steps is also an easy way of motivating yourself to walk more at work. The tracker usually comes with a silent alarm which motivates you to walk every hour. Setting a goal of covering a fixed number of steps at work will motivate you to keep going. Aim for 10,000 steps a day and try to move every hour if possible. Try to move as much as you can whenever you get the chance to pack in maximum number of steps in a day.
The only solution to break through the sedentary work culture is to be more active at work and add activity wherever and whenever possible during office hours. Finding opportunities to walk around the workplace, taking steps and getting a standing desk at a great deal can make a lot of difference. The changes suggested above are small but remember every effort is a step towards a healthy future. Click here to view more information.
Share
AFP
