We all know the benefits of physical activity, and how it impacts our health through lowering weight, improving cardiovascular performance, and building muscle strength. However, many people think of physical activity only as time spent in the gym, outside, or during an intentional workout at home. While these are important activities, they don’t help you while you are going about your daily work day in the office. What’s concerning are the health concerns that come along with an excessive amount of time spent sitting, which is how many of us spend our time if we work in a professional environment.
So, how can you combat the sedentary nature of your work and improve your health, without sacrificing your productivity or efficiency at your job?
- Stand and walk whenever possible, such as while you’re on a phone call, while you’re eating lunch, or while you chat with a coworker or your boss. You don’t have to go on a power walk. Simply standing and shifting from one foot to the other periodically, or even walking paces within your personal office, still keep your blood pumping and help take stress off of your body.
- Move while you work! If your desk has height adjustment options, raise it up to counter level and stand while you do some of your daily tasks. If your desk doesn’t change height, consider bringing a yoga ball with you to work, and changing it out with your chair for an hour or two each day. Sitting on this at your desk might seem silly (and you’ll probably get a few stares from coworkers) but it actually builds core strength, improves balance, and keeps you moving more than a standard chair. It also helps with posture!
- Spend your lunch break on the go. Instead of sitting inside at your desk, or in a break room with coworkers, eat your lunch while walking laps around the parking lot, OR, eat your lunch quickly at the beginning of your break, and spend the remainder of your time participating in some type of physical activity like taking a few flights of stairs, taking time to do a little yoga or some stretching in your office or the company lounge, or simply walking the office and saying hello to various friends and superiors.
Don’t let your daily job lead to less-than-healthy amounts of time sitting still! You can do your best at work and still be on the move. Your body will thank you. Staying active and on the go while looking for a new job? We can help with that! PHR Staffing Solutions has a wide variety of positions open for applications right NOW, and you could be exactly what we’re looking for. Apply online or call us for more information.