Just because you are at work all day doesn’t stop you from staying fit and trim. With some simple work habit adjustments you can get fit in your office, without actually stepping out and driving to the gym.
Just stick to these workplace fitness tips if your job forces you to sit at a computer all day. You will easily be able to create a physically active workplace and get past the roadblocks in the way of your good health.
Stand Up for Your Health
Spending hours in a chair is not just the destruction of your back, but such long inactivity can also damage your mind, sleep cycle, and organs. It could even shorten your life.
Ask your employer for a standing workstation. Do most of your tasks while standing rather than sitting. Even if you do not get a fancy upDesk, the minimum you can get is simply a surface like cupboard top or cabinet top that is high enough to let you work comfortably on a laptop or desktop.
If your boss does not allow such different work style from rest of the team, stand up to take phone calls, discuss important projects or even to eat your meals and whenever possible. This way you would not only speed up your metabolic rate, but you also increase the activity of fat burning enzymes.
Move around as often as you can
Human body is evolved to move around in order to survive and grow. So, it is completely unnatural to keep sitting whole day long and expect to have a healthy body.
Of course, you don’t have to quit sitting altogether. The key is to augment your routine with some nonexercise activities like low-impact movements to keep your metabolism active and circulation flowing.
Take a 10 minute walk after your lunch, use the restroom farthest from your desk or even walk through the office for a gossip break. Just move around as often as you can. Focus on reducing your overall sedentary time.
Add Fitness Tracker to your Routine
Inspire yourself by quantifying your activity during office hours. Track your steps taken, distance traveled, active heart-rate levels and calories burned with latest fitness trackers. This will help you move more, sleep better and improve your overall health. Most of the latest gadgets also let you join up and compete with friends, which is a great feature that lets you stay motivated.
More than a reminder, a fitness tracker also encourages you to stay committed to what you have started. It is like a challenge you have taken in public. Once someone notices you wear a fitness tracker, he automatically knows you are conscious about your fitness regime, which in turn pushes you to go further and show some difference.
You can find most of these devices in several muted colors and sizes, although each can be adjusted significantly. They work automatically from the moment it goes on your wrist – finding your heart rate quickly and holding the reading so that you could access it quickly anytime, just on the press of a button.
All health experts are talking about it, be it for activity boosting in older women, college weight loss tips for young adults, monitoring fitness activities in Kids and more.
Workout at your Desk
Do stretches for 15 to 30 seconds every time you get a chance. Create a screen saver that reminds you to stand up and stretch in small intervals. Try these:
Neck Stretches – Slowly tilt and hold your head toward your right shoulder for ten seconds. Then repeat it for the other side.
Upper Back Stretches – Fold your arms across your chest to stretch your upper back and rear shoulders.
Arms & Legs – Lean forward at the waist from sitting position and slowly try to stretch and straighten your legs. Along stretch your arms to touch your feet (if possible).
Thigh Stretch – Simply stand and grab your one ankle and pull it toward your buttocks. Do the same for the other leg.
Just remember that hectic work schedules and over time jobs do not have to get in the way of your health. Stick to these office fitness tips to get past the roadblocks to a healthy body and mind.