Work is busy, there have been times when I’m deep into my work that I look at the clock and realize that I haven’t moved from my desk in over an hour. You’ve probably heard time and time again how bad sitting for a long period of time really is for your body. It increases the potential for weight gain and the risk of various chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
The good news is there are a lot of simple things you can do that will decrease the risks for all of those negative things.
- Stand – Standing for part of your day is good for you. It helps to burn more calories, is better for your posture and allows for better blood flow throughout your body. They do sell standing desks that range in a variety of prices if that’s the route that you want to take. Set a timer on your phone that reminds you stand up and do some stretching.
- Walk More – This may be even as simple as parking your car farther away in the parking lot or grabbing at walk at lunch. If you need to talk to someone in the office instead of calling or e-mailing them make a trip to their office and talk to them in person.
- Stairs – Going up and down stairs may not sound like the most fun thing in the world especially when wearing heels. It’s the perfect way to stay active during the day. Even if you work on the first floor make an effort, set an alarm on your phone or calendar reminder to hit the steps 2-3 times a day.
- Waiting around = Time to Move – When you’re standing around waiting for your lunch to heat up, waiting for a meeting or standing at the printer use it as an opportunity to move! A friend and I used to try and get some extra steps in by doing silly walks in the hall or breaking out in some dance moves in the kitchen. You may not want to go to that far but calf raises, lunges, etc are easy to do as well while you wait.
- Pack your lunch – Being prepared and bringing your lunch makes it easier to say no to going out to eat when your co-workers ask and can help save you some money as well!
- Stay away from Office Treats – This one is definitely the hardest one for me, it seems like there are always some kind of goodies around the office kitchen. If you need to, avoid the kitchen when you know something’s in there that can tempt you. If you know there are going to be a lot of not so healthy treats, volunteer to bring a healthy one.
What other things have you tried or are you doing at work to stay healthy? Leave them in the comments below.
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