Jeremy Kaplan
Don’t believe that you need at least 30 minutes logged in a gym to get results. For many Americans, they’re overworked, overstressed, and one of the most common excuses for not living an active lifestyle is they don’t have time. However, everyone has the same number of hours in their days. How you workout is a critical part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Office workers are particularly at risk of living a sedentary lifestyle. You may have heard that “sitting is the new sugar,” and lack of movement can be deadly in the long run. Office workers aren’t just sedentary, but often adopt poor habits overall. There’s a tendency to eat at the desk, to have poor posture, and to strain your eyes while staring at a screen all day.
Taking care of yourself should always be a top priority. Whether it’s finding recovery programs that work for you or making sure you adopt good sleep hygiene habits, self-care is a must if you want to have a healthy, happy life. Where do workouts fit into your schedule if you work in an office? Wherever you’d like them to! Here are a few ways to squeeze in quick workouts while living the office life:
1. Find alternatives to using vehicles whenever you can. If you have the option to bike to work, take advantage of that commute option. You can also get off at an earlier bus stop to squeeze in a walk before work. Park father away if you have to drive and make a point to walk farther to get to work. Take the stairs whenever you can. Every day, there are hundreds of choices to be made. Choose to move more.
2. Set a reminder to get up and move at least every 20 minutes. Twenty minutes can fly by, but that doesn’t mean your health has to suffer. Get up, stretch, walk around the office—get outside if you can. At least every hour, spend a minimum of five minutes moving. This can be taking a walk around the block or indulging in a little office yoga.
3. Stand and type. You don’t need a special standing desk to stand up while you work. In Japan, a current trend is to have all workers standing the majority of the day. However, standing alone isn’t enough. Make sure you’re practicing good spinal alignment. Stand against a wall. Ensure your heels, maybe your calves, bum, shoulders, and back of head are all touching the wall. The chin should be parallel to the floor. This is proper spinal alignment. Imprint how it feels onto your brain and adopt this position whenever you’re standing.
4. Make use of your lunch hour. It’s dangerous to sit and eat at the desk because it isn’t mindful. That’s why so many office workers can feel unsatisfied when they try to multi-task in this manner. However, it’s just as dangerous to do nothing on your lunch hour but eat. Make this a time when you put your health first. Pack your lunch whenever possible with healthy, whole foods so you know exactly what’s going into your body. Make some time to move during this hour. Most people don’t have a lot of time, so don’t waste it traveling. Run a few stairs at the office, take a walk in a local park, or join (or start!) a running club at the office.
5. Make sure you have ergonomic furniture. Sometimes movement is subtle. One of the most common complaints in workers’ compensation claims is carpal tunnel syndrome, which is preventable. If you have poor ergonomic setups, you’re not going to feel much like prioritizing movement. This might include adjusting your chair, the tilt of your screen, and adding options like a wrist pad to keep your wrists healthy.
Office workers are at a disadvantage in many ways, but that doesn’t have to be the case. All the little things add up, so move throughout the day and don’t worry about trying to get in all of those movement minutes at once.
