Staying Active with a Desk Job

Staying active in all sections of life is important but can also be difficult to juggle. For those that work a desk job, it can be hard to find the time throughout the day to maintain activity, but it is extremely important, and we must make it a priority. You may not even realize how simple it really could be to incorporate some activity into your daily workday! Give some of these ideas some consideration:

1. Take mini breaks throughout your day – It does you no favors to be glued to your work desk all day long. Get up every once in a while and get your blood flowing! Try to make it a goal to get up once an hour and walk around; find a coworker to chat with about a mutual project, grab a drink of water or a quick snack. Whatever you choose to do just make sure you are getting up and moving throughout the day!

2. Make the most out of your lunch break – Our bodies can truly benefit from a quick walk by lunchtime, it doesn’t have to be a long vigorous walk, but getting some activity in during your lunch hour can be extremely beneficial and will go a long way during the workday. It can be tempting to want to sit back and relax while you enjoy your lunch, but try and make it a routine to get some steps in during your lunch break!

3. Subtle stretching – It doesn’t take much to do some stretches in your workspace. Take a few seconds to stretch your muscles and give them some blood flow! Whatever you can do to help blood flow will be beneficial!

4. Alternate sitting and standing – If possible, try alternating between sitting and standing. If you don’t have accessibility to a standing desk, try standing while taking phone calls or reading an email. Getting up and standing rather than sitting all day will give you more energy!

5. Suggest walking meetings – Meetings are a very common part of office jobs. If possible, try suggesting walking meetings! Walk around and the office and discuss your ideas rather than sitting around a desk throwing your ideas around.

6. Take advantage of time outside of work – Sitting and working a desk job all day can be mentally exhausting and it can be easy to want to go home and sit on the couch to decompress. Try making the best of your time away from work by getting out and staying active. You can take a walk around your neighborhood, go on a hike, go for a swim, go walk around your local mall, whatever hobbies you might have that keep you active will go a long way!

Regardless of your health status, it is no secret that sitting at a desk all day does you no favors. Try incorporating some of these tips into your work day to optimize your activity and health.